Louisiana’s Cost To Respond To Flooding Could Reach $81M

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana's share of response costs to the August flooding could reach $81 million or more.

That's the estimate lawmakers received Friday, in a first accounting by Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration about the possible exposure for a state struggling with budget gaps.

While the federal government will pay for most of the response effort, Louisiana must cover a portion ranging from 10 percent to 50 percent depending on the type of aid.

The Edwards administration estimates Louisiana's share of state agency response costs will reach $49 million, which the state must pay before the budget year ends June 30.

Transitional housing and other programs run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency are expected to cost Louisiana at least $31 million, though that bill can be paid in installments over years.

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