Tagged: Hurricane Isaac

Residents in East Feliciana and West Feliciana parishes who were affected by Hurricane Isaac have seven days, beginning Thursday, to apply for disaster food benefits.

State officials say they're opening sites at the East Feliciana Early Learning Center in Clinton and the Independence Community Center in St. Francisville, each day, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Officials say repairs to the Mandeville fishing pier, which was damaged by Hurricane Isaac, will take about three months to complete and could cost around $200,000.

Public Works Director David deGeneres tells The Times-Picayune the popular 400-foot pier at Sunset Point on the city's lakefront will remain closed until the repairs are complete.

City officials are hoping that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will help pay for the repairs. If federal money is made available, officials say the city would have to pay only 25 percent of the repair costs.

State wildlife and fisheries officials have extended the East Zone wild alligator harvest season through Oct. 4.

Robert Barham, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, approved the extension Tuesday.

The scheduled opening of the East Zone season was delayed from Aug. 29 until Sept. 1 due to the approach of Tropical Storm Isaac, which reached hurricane strength before landfall. Resulting flooding and displacement of residents prompted the extension.

Entergy Corp. says its estimated damages from Hurricane Isaac range from $400 million to $500 million, and the storm is expected to reduce the utility's third-quarter revenue.

In a news release on Tuesday, Entergy said it will pursue all reasonable avenues to recover storm costs, including using its storm reserves, borrowing, additional charges for customers, and insurance.

Entergy said it is unable to predict the degree of success it may have in these initiatives, the amount of restoration costs it may recover or when it may recover them.

Two health care groups have filed a lawsuit against Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon, over an insurance coverage change he made after Hurricane Isaac.

The lawsuit by the Louisiana State Medical Society and the Louisiana Hospital Association was filed in Baton Rouge district court late Monday, challenging an emergency rule Donelon issued on Sept. 4.

The emergency rule affected health insurance policies in 23 parishes.