For residents and business owners who’ve experienced flash flooding recently, the Lafayette Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP) is asking them to report any damage to their homes and/or businesses with Damage.LA.Gov.
Damage.LA.Gov is a self-reporting tool that is used through the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) and allows individuals to quickly and easily share the extent and location of damages with parish, state, and federal emergency officials, according to the Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG).
If your residence or business has sustained damage, visit https://damage.la.gov/ to begin the reporting process. It should be noted that Damage. LA.Gov’s portal was developed for residential submissions, so some language included may not be applicable to business owners.
Tips for Reporting Damage Effectively:
Submit multiple photos from different angles – include both close-ups of specific damage and wide shots of the whole structure.
Ensure your photos are clear and well-lit.
Use the comments field to describe what happened and provide context.
Double-check that your address and map pin are accurate.
Do not submit reports for:
Non-residential structures (sheds, barns, carports, etc.)
The same residence more than once
Lafayette Parish OHSEP urges all residents and business owners with storm-related home damage to fill out the Damage.LA.Gov survey as soon as possible. They are also asking residents and business owners not to put themselves in danger to gather information or take photos.
The faster the information is gathered, the quicker emergency management agencies can work toward coordinated recovery efforts for the community, LCG said.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: lafayette-flood-damage-reporting-ohsep