Letter to Lieutenant General Scott Spellmon, Chief of Engineers of Army Corps of Engineers - Scalise, Letlow, Graves, Higgins, Carter Urge Corps to Speed Up Operation Blue Roof Rollout

Letter

Dear Lieutenant General Spellmon:

"While we are appreciative of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' management of the Operation Blue Roof program, we are writing today with concerns about its current operational state. Our constituents have cited problems with delivery and access, including in rural areas of Southeast Louisiana. We encourage the Corps to use every available resource to ensure this program is moving as quickly as possible in all impacted Parishes.

"As you know, Hurricane Ida devastated Louisiana with winds of over 150 miles per hour. This hurricane caused extreme damage to homes throughout south Louisiana. Many homeowners are relying on the Blue Roof program to protect their homes while they wait for permanent repairs. Unfortunately, we are hearing that many constituents have had difficulty utilizing this program in a timely manner. Amid the peak of hurricane season, it is imperative that homeowners can access this program as quickly and easily as possible.

"It is our understanding that as of September 22, over 62,358 individuals have registered for the Blue Roof program and 3,743 installations have been completed. It is also our further understanding that the Corps is ramping up capacity to perform nearly 600 installations a day. While we appreciate the accelerated speed under this ramp up, at that rate it would take approximately 98 days to complete installation for every applicant under the Blue Roof program. This timeframe is unacceptable and will lead to additional damage to homes while people's roofs remain exposed to the elements.

"Our constituents are recuperating from a life-changing event and this program is crucial in helping recovery efforts. We urge the Corps to expand the capacity for these projects to include as many contractors as needed to complete installation in an expedited pace. We would like to be updated on all measures you are taking to speed up installation and what you are doing to make it as easy as possible for hurricane survivors to enroll in the program. Finally, we request regular reports, broken down by Parish, on the number of individuals served each day.

"We appreciate all you are doing to help Louisiana recover from this historic disaster and look forward to your response."