All branches of the library that have not suffered storm damage will be open from 10 AM-6 PM through Saturday, and from 2-6PM on Sunday. The Baker Branch and the Greenwell Springs Road Regional Branch are closed for repairs.
Library workers are available to help you with FEMA documentation and other emergency response documents. We have recently created a Disaster Recovery Infoguide that contains information specific to this weekend’s flooding and will be updated as more information is released.
- You may wish to read FEMA’s “After the Flood” information sheet before beginning any household repairs; copies may be available at the reference desk of your branch.
- Two important website to have at your fingertips are:
This website is for people seeking Federal assistance from FEMA. There is a registration process. The contact phone is 1-800-621-3362. The FEMA “Applicant’s Guide to the Individuals & Households Program” is here:
Copies should be available at the information desk at your branch.
2. www.dcfs.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&pid=360
This website is for those seeking disaster assistance from the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It may be easier to Google Louisiana DSNAP to access the site. Again there is a registration process. The contact phone is 1-888-524-3578.
Typically initial information necessary to complete either of these registrations includes:
Name, social security number, and birth date for each household member
Parish where you currently live
Residential address
Monthly income for each household member
Liquid resources for each household member such as:
Cash on Hand
Checking Accounts
Savings Accounts
Certificates of Deposit (CDs)
Money Market Accounts
- The final acceptance date for federal tax returns due after August 15th has been pushed back to January 17th, 2017.
- The Advocate is publishing a running list of parish and state offices that are closed due to flooding, and their expected opening dates, if any have been published.
- Louisiana DOTD is maintaining a frequently updated map of road closures and areas that are still flooded.
- All open branches (again, that’s all of them but Baker and Greenwell Springs Road) are accepting donations of new socks in all sizes. Drop off your donations at the children’s desk of your local branch.
- BREC is opening emergency camps for children who are unable to attend school. The camps will be located at Independence, Highland, Jackson, Zachary Community Parks and T.D. Bickham Park in Baker, for a price of $14 a day or $50 per week where closures are expected to last for a longer period of time.
We are proud to be serving the community of Baton Rouge in this difficult time, and proud of our place in Southern Louisiana.