FEMA plans to locate office at Northwest Center in Eunice

The Federal Emergency Management Agency may place its representatives in Eunice at the Northwest Community Center in two to three weeks, Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot.
The operation may include the Small Business Administration and state Food Stamp workers, he said.
An estimated 500 residences were damaged in St. Landry Parish by flooding that began Aug. 13. Of those residences, more than 200 are in the Eunice area.
“It would be fair to say that this is probably the first time a situation like this has happened in Eunice other than when the train derailment happened,” Fontenot said.
“This isn’t going to end right now. This is going to be an event that isn’t going to last a couple of weeks or months for a lot people in Eunice,” Fontenot said. “Some people’s lives might be back to normal, but there are a lot of people who are still affected and they are going to be dealing with this for a little while.”
And, unlike a hurricane, the damage is not as readily apparent once the curbside debris is removed, he said.
“It is worse than the people think to be honest with you,” he said.
If FEMA sets up an office here, and Fontenot believed Thursday that was going to happen, it would serve St. Landry, Evangeline and Acadia parishes, he said.
Five days after the flooding, the depth of the disaster was still being assessed.
Rene Fusilier, Eunice Authority director, said 28 out of 80 units at Acadian Village were flooded by up to eight inches of water.
The affected residents were being moved out to allow repairs and Fusilier said she is seeking alternative housing for them. Fuselier asked that she be contacted at 337-457-7716 if anyone has housing for the residents.
Apartment residents across Eunice were scrambling for shelter since the flood.
Word Ministries, which sheltered 57 people the Saturday night of the flooding, was greeting new evacuees during the week, the Rev. Caleb Semien said.
Semien said the church, located in the former Walmart store on West Laurel Avenue, is accepting and giving flood-related supplies 24-hours a day, seven days a week at this point as well as housing flooding victims.
Relief supplies also were being gathered and distributed at the Department of Motor Vehicle building by the Eunice Community Garden. For more information, call Eunice Police officer Mary Guillory at 337-305-0868 or the Eunice Community Garden’s Facebook page.