More Than $3.

6 Million in Public
Assistance for St. Bernard Parish Public
Library
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=28382
Release Date: July 31, 2006
Release Number: 1603-517
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NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Many residents of St. Bernard Parish lost a valuable source for
research and reading when the St Bernard Public Library was damaged by Hurricane
Katrina. But help is on the way.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that more than $3.6
million in funds have been made available for the library’s destroyed and damaged
contents and for building repairs.
Located in the town of Chalmette, at 1125 E. St. Bernard Highway, the library building
was inundated with four feet of standing water from Katrina. The funds will be used to
replace books, multi-media equipment, computers, and office and library supplies. “The
funds will help us replace what was lost,” said St. Bernard Parish Chief of Staff Charlie
Reppel. “We are on our way to returning to normalcy.”
A National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim settlement of more than $431,000 will
provide additional resources for materials and repairs to the property.
Jim Stark, FEMA’s Director of the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office said,
“Libraries add to the vitality of a community. The restoration back to an operating library
will be another step in the recovery of St. Bernard Parish.”
Reppel said the library has also received a donation of a bookmobile from New Bern,
North Carolina. “We are very pleased to have it. It is in excellent shape and it has been
refurbished,” he said.
St. Bernard Parish sent two drivers to North Carolina to pick up the donated bookmobile,
which arrived in Louisiana last week.
Help was literally on the way when a semi-truck driver who had a load coming to
Louisiana from Virginia offered to transport a donation to the library of 2,500 books free
of charge. Many will go onto the bookmobile. It will be routed through neighborhoods
and to schools on a schedule, allowing library card-holders to check out and return books.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident.
FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency
managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Monday, 31-Jul-2006 10:33:29