Biloxy, Mississippi – Twenty years ago Friday, Katrina As a category 3 storm, he came to the southeast of New Orleans and created its second and most destructive American landfall.
While damage and destruction left Katrina In 2005, New Orleans were replaced forever, the growth of the storm and powerful winds also left a permanent blow to other parts of the Gulf coast, including Alabama and Mississippi.
Two decades later, Biloxy, Mississippi, is still trying to rebuild. Mayor Andrew “Fofo” Gillich says that it has been a continuous fight with the federal emergency management agency on funding.
To make the city’s ghat stronger than before, the city says it needs $ 4 million. Gilich says FEMA has proposed a separate number: $ 555,000.
“$ 555,000, which is absolutely ridiculous in my mind, you can’t make anything with it,” Gilich told CBS News.
However, the biggest incomplete project is upgraded to the city’s sewage and storewater system to better protect the biloxy from the next monster storm.
Gilich said, “As long as we assure funding, we cannot bid these two projects.”
Gilich said FEMA still owes $ 34 million to complete the plan about 20 years ago. FEMA will not pay it until Biloxi starts working in the final stage, but Gilich says he does not want to start anything that he knows will not be able to finish. The Mayor said that as time has passed, the cost of supply and labor has defeated the original estimates.
Gillich says The city now requires $ 111 million to complete the project, but FEMA has denied its request for more money – twice.
“I’m not, and they [FEMA] Understand, you know where our concern is, “Gilich said, who said that the way he feels that his city is considered” just ridiculous “by FEMA.
Biloxy submitted a second appeal for FEMA in this summer.
In these years, FEMA has tried to return some funds provided for the first steps of the sewage system upgrade, claiming that the city has not used federal funds that have been appropriately received. Biloxy and FEMA reached a court disposal a few years ago on those concerns.
Gilich says Fema’s allegations “are not right.”
“The bottom line, I am here to say that we have done everything we can possibly do,” Gilich said.
In the Document Biloxy provided to CBS News, FEMA’s refusal of Biloxy’s request was due to the fact that the city, “the city,” has not provided a documentation, confirming the rationality of the claims claimed by or has demonstrated any error or omission in the approved … required to estimate the cost, need to be estimated. “
Biloxy is not alone in his struggles with Fema. CBS News found 254 other FEMA Katrina relief projects through the agency that were designed to help municipalities in Louisiana and Mississippi which are still not done.
Gilich said the experience “almost like working with insurance agents. Delay, depot and refusal.”
Complaint of cases The Trump administration is an attempt to overhall the fame, and Controversy over some disaster mitigation grant cutBetween other funding changes. CBS News said in May that FEMA lost About one-third employee Through firing and combinations of bayouts.
And earlier this week, a group of 181 current and former FEMA officers Signed an open letter Said that changes in the White House agency can undo the reforms of decades which were implemented after Katrina. More than 20 employees who publicly signed their names on the letter Has been suspended since,
In May, Christie NoM, US Secretary, Homeland Security, testified about his plans to improve the agency’s processes before the Congress.
“We still have outstanding claims from Hurricane Katrina in FEMA,” Homeland Security Secretary Christie Nom, whose department oversees FEMA, Testified Before home in May. “Wildfire claims from West that it is 10 years old, where people said,” We claim this, this loss. FEMA has committed to pay it and still has not followed it through it. ” We saw the political goal in northern Carolina, where individuals within FEMA decided who could help and who did not get help. [that] States are empowered to react emergency for President Trump. ,
Gilich has traveled to DC three times before this year to advocate his city. He said that he felt carefully optimistic that funding would eventually come and the reconstruction process will be completed within almost three years.
“The end result is righteous,” Gilich said. “This is going to happen that we can maintain a lot of things, you know as far as Mother Nature throws on us.”
In a statement provided to CBS News on Thursday in response to a question about those communities, which they say that they are still waiting for Katrina’s post-funding, a FEMA spokesperson said, “It is ridiculous, unacceptable, and utterly that the fame is still working for a disaster and fulfilling the attack. FEMA is ready to support the way your citizens to focus on empowering states and local communities to create a lean, sharp, and effective disaster response agency.
The spokesman said that FEMA Review CouncilEstablished by President Trump in January, “Swift for Americans, is fully reviewing to ensure effective disaster response.”
The spokesman said that the council is expected to release a final report with “actionable recommendations”.
FEMA spokesperson also said, “Aaj Tak, FEMA has provided important federal assistance to the affected states, including more than $ 6.6 billion in personal assistance-in which funds for rent, basic home repair and other disaster-based needs have been included-and public aid has been approved for rebellion projects of more than $ 17.1 billion, such as rebellious roads, such as rebellious roads and other Important.”
