LAKE CHARLES — Sheriff’s deputies accompanied Federal Emergency Management Agency workers to Terra Hillman’s fenced-in property Jan. 29. They were there to remove the camper she’s lived in since Hurricane Laura plowed through her home in August 2020.
Hillman’s is one of three households in Calcasieu Parish who still need temporary shelter as they struggle to rebuild after the historic 2020 hurricane season. Their personal stories reveal gaps that remain in the disaster recovery process, even as the area sees a boom in multifamily housing construction.
FEMA set a Feb. 28 deadline to remove the remaining trailers from Calcasieu Parish, though the agency did not respond to questions about why it went to Hillman’s property a month early.
When FEMA arrived at her property, Hillman entered her damaged house and would not speak with officials except to request they leave. About an hour later, they left without taking the temporary trailer.
Damage to Hillman’s home has made it difficult for her to repair. Her insurance company initially paid to repair her roof but denied the rest of her damage claims, including home leveling costs, which she said came to more than $300,000. But after her insurance company filed for bankruptcy, Hillman received no additional reimbursements. Court records show she’s suing the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association to recoup her losses.
“I’ve tried to re-tarp it [the roof] a few times myself because nobody else would do it because it’s dangerous …” Hillman said. “The weather around here just makes a joke of the tarps and stuff, and so the water just pours in half the house.”
Tarps cover the damage Hurricane Laura inflicted in 2020 upon Terra Hillman’s home in Lake Charles. (Chris Vinn for Louisiana Illuminator.
Reached last week, Hillman said she was still living in her trailer while repairs to her home continue. A freak winter ice storm in February 2021 damaged her plumbing, adding to the fixes needed.
Hillman applied for help from Restore Louisiana, the program providing federal grants for homeowners affected by natural disasters in 2020-21. She was initially awarded $19,000 but appealed the award amount. She has since been approved for $325,000 to cover the full demolition and rebuild. However, she said the process has been slow.
Restore Louisiana program’s deadline for issuing grant award agreements was Nov. 1, 2024.
The Louisiana Office of Community Development, which oversees the program, has closed over 13,000 grant agreements, obligating more than $1.06 billion, spokesman Marvin McGraw told the Illuminator.
“Of the 20,803 submitted applications, 99.9% of grant award determinations have been completed, with only 12 homeowners awaiting a final award decision,” McGraw said.
The program expects to finalize any outstanding awards by March 31, he added.
“At this stage, all homeowners have been notified of their program status, and any remaining delays are likely due to missing documentation or unmet program requirements,” McGraw said.
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Financial hardships hinder recovery
Before it was removed from her property, Diana Betters lived in a FEMA trailer in south Lake Charles, outside of city limits. She shared it with six other family members since her manufactured home sustained storm damage in 2020 that included busted pipes and a mold infestation visible around holes in the roof, walls and floors.
“I don’t know how much mold has built up. We’ve been buying the mold stuff and spraying and scrubbing,” Betters said.
Despite efforts to secure more permanent housing after the storms, she faced credit checks and financial hurdles, including a $650 sewer repair.
Betters said she was awarded $75,000 from Restore Louisiana.
“I went and looked at the double-wide homes, and they want $149,000,” Betters said. “What I’m gonna do with it? Well, it’s a down payment, then the rest gonna fall on me. I already have a mortgage” for the damaged home.
Betters said she turned down housing options in nearby Sulphur and Iowa because she didn’t want her 11-year-old granddaughter to change schools. She considered two apartments near McNeese State University but didn’t qualify for a lease because of her low credit score.
According to documents Hillman and Betters received from FEMA and shared with the Illuminator, their trailer rents increased in January, with residents subjected to additional penalties should they continue to live in them beyond February.
Hillman said her $50 monthly rent increased to $200 in January, but she was unsure of what fees she would owe for continuing to live in her trailer past Feb. 28. Betters said her rent rose from $359 to more than $700 in 2024.
Despite the Feb. 28 deadline, FEMA representatives showed up at Betters’ property Jan. 30 and ordered her family to vacate the trailer. As the family packed their belongings, contract workers started removing the trailer skirting to prepare it for removal. But just as they had at Hillman’s home, FEMA workers left the property without the trailer when reporters with the Illuminator and KPLC-TV arrived.
Betters told the Illuminator FEMA officials returned without warning the next day to remove the trailer. She and her family are now back to living in their hurricane-damaged home while they save for something new.
“We’re bunched up in here like sardines,” Betters said, explaining that she’s using some rooms in her damaged home for storage space.
FEMA would not answer specific questions about Betters or Hillman but said in an email that its Direct Housing Mission program ended Feb. 28. When a move-out is completed, FEMA said its campers are “not typically removed from the property on the same day.
Ceiling damage is visible in a section of Terra Hillman’s home in Lake Charles that Hurricane Laura damaged in 2020. (Chris Vinn for Louisiana Illuminator)
Nearly 20 years of disputes
Sulphur resident Ronnie Hossain has lived in FEMA trailers since 2005, when Hurricane Rita leveled the southwest corner of Louisiana. He has been involved in a lengthy dispute with local officials over rebuilding his storm-damaged home, and FEMA put his trailer on its removal list with the two others left over from the 2020 storms.
Hossain said his FEMA trailer was scheduled for repossession for 9 a.m. Jan. 31. However, no one from FEMA arrived when the time came. He attributes the no-show to reporters who were present during previous removal attempts earlier that week.
Hossain claims FEMA wrongly accused him of violations in an attempt to force him out of his temporary housing and that local officials have been unhelpful, further complicating efforts to rebuild his home. He also said that FEMA cited him for failing to meet with a caseworker, but he alleges no caseworker has ever visited his property.
Hossain said he had been paying rent for the FEMA trailer, which recently increased from $225 to $475 per month. Now, he claims, FEMA is demanding $1,600 in rent, an amount he says is unreasonable.
Sulphur Mayor Mike Danahay said Hossain has been entangled in zoning and permitting issues since Hurricane Rita. He has violated city ordinances by having multiple structures on a lot zoned for one single-family dwelling, according to the mayor.
Hossain said the trailer he had been living in since Rita was damaged during Hurricane Laura in 2020. FEMA replaced it, and he removed the original one from his property six months ago.
Hossain has yet to move into his house, and Danahay says he has repeatedly failed to meet deadlines for completing construction. The mayor said Hossain had electrical and plumbing work done without the necessary permits, which has prevented city inspectors from ensuring the home meets safety standards. Despite years of attempted cooperation, officials eventually had to start enforcing ordinances, Danahay said.
The mayor maintains the city’s goal is compliance, not punishment.
“I think we’ve been more than patient with this gentleman to get his house in order so he can move back in,” Danahay stated. “All we are asking him to do is complete the house and do it right to ensure safety.”
Hossein told the Illuminator he has permits to work on the house.
Hossain was locked out of his FEMA trailer Feb. 23, and it was removed from the property March 3, he said. Additionally, he claims FEMA sent a notice to the Internal Revenue Service to garnish more than $1,600 from his monthly income.
He said has been in contact with Restore recently to renegotiate the terms of his grant to continue rebuilding his house.
Multifamily construction boom replacing damaged housing stock
Hurricanes Laura and Delta took dead aim at southwest Louisiana and damaged approximately 44,000 homes, according to a 2020 study. About half of the Calcasieu Parish housing stock was impacted.
More than 750 damaged homes in Lake Charles have either been repaired or rebuilt since 2020, city spokeswoman Katie Harrington said. Additionally, more than 900 new multi-family units have come online or are in the process of being developed.
Woodring Apartments in downtown Lake Charles just marked its grand opening and offers affordable rates for qualifying tenants. Construction is well underway at the 72-unit Calcasieu Heights and Capstone at the Oaks, with 120 apartments. Both properties are intended for senior housing.
Mid-City Lofts, a 46-unit mixed income development, is under construction on a portion of what was once the Lloyd Oaks Housing Development. What’s left of Lloyd Oaks is also being redeveloped.
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Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.
SUMMARY: The Thibodaux Firemen’s Fair in Lafourche Parish kicks off on May 1, featuring music, rides, food, and fundraising for the local volunteer fire department. Highlights include the traditional Firemen’s Parade on May 4, starting at St. Joseph’s Elementary School, and the 11th Annual 5K Run/Walk on May 3, open to all ages with food vouchers for adults. Entertainment spans multiple days with live bands and auctions, including unique prizes like custom boats and celebrity experiences. The fair offers a Mega Pass for unlimited rides and delicious local cuisine. The event wraps up with a $15,000 raffle grand prize on May 4.
SUMMARY: The Quitman Wolverines battled for nine intense innings to secure their spot in the quarterfinals, overcoming a tough opponent, the Shrint Aggies. A previous weather-shortened game and rivalry added extra motivation. Case West emerged as the hero with a walk-off hit, but the entire team contributed, especially the bottom of the lineup. Four pitchers combined to hold the Aggies to only two runs, with Zack Smudrick setting the tone. The team’s unity and fan energy fueled their resilience. West emphasized the win’s importance for the seniors, showing the deep bond and determination driving the Wolverines forward.
Wolverines show grit and togetherness in walk-off win in regional round.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 17:37:00
The Make America Healthy Again movement has gained significant attention throughout the nation and many of the top initiatives highlighted have found their way into state legislatures this session.
Louisiana is no exception and Senator Patrick McMath, R-Covington, has, via Senate Bill 14, proposed a significant cleanup of our food supply, especially focused on kids. Backed by the popular support of the MAHA Moms, this bill has three major parts that are worth examining separately for their merits.
First is a ban of several “ultra processed” foods in school meals. In this case the term ultra processed is defined as products that contain any one of 13 specifically referenced compounds. Of these the first 7 are artificial dyes, like red dye No. 40, derived from petroleum byproducts that serve a singular role to make food more visually appealing.
We should all be asking ourselves why we ever allowed this stuff to find its way into our food in the first place. Several of these synthetic dyes have been shown to be associated with various harms ranging from ADHD to allergies and tumors.
Most of the other compounds on the list sound like they should have a skull and cross bones on the label. Take the bread additive azodicarbonamide as an example. If you thought that sounded like something you should not eat, you would be right.
It breaks down into urethane (yes, like the paint), a known carcinogen, and is banned is just about every country but the U.S.
In the case of school lunches, the child has no choice in the matter. They eat what they are provided and we have an obligation to protect them from toxic substances in the cafeteria.
Second is a labeling requirement for foods containing the substances in the school lunch ban portion, plus a few more, known to have a questionable safety profile that are banned in other countries.
It directs manufacturers to place a label on any food or drink containing these chemicals that clearly alerts the consumer of the fact that it contains something that is banned in other countries.
Last, but certainly not least, is a provision to reform of the Supplemental Nutritional Aid Program, once known as food stamps. This program is federally sponsored, and provides food assistance to families with an income below 130% of the federal poverty line. This would be about $31,200 net yearly income for a family of four.
In our inflationary economic environment, every penny counts and when it comes to food and obtaining the maximum calories for minimum dollars is a necessity. Historically, the cheapest foods happen to also be the least healthy in many cases, condemning those dependent on the program to poor health.
Soft drinks containing very high sugar or sugar substitutes are a major contributor to the chronic diseases that plague our health system like obesity and diabetes, especially in children. This bill directs DCFS to seek a waiver from the federal government allowing Louisiana to prohibit use of SNAP to purchase soft drinks.
Ultimately, the federal government should go a step further and incentivize healthier alternatives for SNAP beneficiaries, but this bill represents a major step in the right direction that can be accomplished at the state level.
The old saying goes: “You are what you eat.” We should keep this literal and obvious truth in mind when we think about how to turn the tide on chronic disease in our nation.
Let us begin by protecting the children who are too young to choose for themselves and providing better information for adults who can. SB 14 will accomplish both goals and move Louisiana to the forefront of the movement to Make America Healthy Again.
Dr. Ralph L. Abraham, M.D. is the Louisiana Surgeon General
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
The article presents a clear ideological stance that aligns with health-conscious, regulatory-focused policy perspectives often associated with center-left viewpoints. It advocates for government intervention to regulate food safety, particularly in school meals and assistance programs like SNAP, emphasizing protection of public health and vulnerable populations such as children and low-income families. The tone is supportive of regulations to restrict harmful substances and promote healthier choices, which suggests a bias favoring increased oversight and reform in food policies rather than a neutral, detached report.
