NEW ORLEANS – Hurricane Rita caused substantial rain and wind damage to the terminal building at the Lake Charles Regional Airport on Sept. 24, 2005. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently obligated funds to rebuild the facility to its condition prior to the hurricane.   

 The airport is vital to business interests in Southwest Louisiana, an area with more than 180,000 residents. It provides commercial flights to Houston and serves as a transportation hub for the nearby oil and gas industries.

 “It’s the front door to the community,” Lake Charles Airport Authority Deputy Director Heath Allen said. “It’s the first impression of the city. It really is an image of your community.”

 Rather than pay for repairing the damages—which include most of the roof and electrical, air conditioning and mechanical components—FEMA officials determined the terminal is eligible to be demolished and rebuilt. Construction will begin in September and should be completed by May 2009. The new terminal will include offices, a lobby, restrooms, concession spaces, baggage claim and storage facilities.

 “It’s definitely something that’s very much needed,” Allen said of the airport. “The process [with FEMA] went very smoothly.”                                       

The airport has been using a temporary terminal building located near the original facility since Hurricane Rita.                                                                                                     

FEMA has obligated more than $2.7 million for rebuilding the airport terminal. When projects are obligated by FEMA through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are transferred to a Smartlink account. This allows the applicant, in this case the Calcasieu Parish Airport Authority, to work with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness as quickly as possible to access the reimbursement monies. The state may require additional documentation from the applicant before disbursing the funds. Obligated funds may change over time as the project worksheet is a living grant that is often adjusted as bids come in and scope of work is aligned.

The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations’ buildings, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.

FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.