Office of the Governor 
February 11, 2021 

Gov. Edwards has declared a state of emergency due to the heavy rainfall totals beginning to impact the state and the wintry conditions beginning this weekend and extending to next week.

If travel is in your plans, visit www.511.la.org for updates on road conditions. GOHSEP is closely monitoring this weather threat and stands ready to support our local partners and state agencies if help if needed.

Find more tips on weather and preparedness on GOHSEP’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. Listen to conversations on all aspects of emergency management by downloading GOHSEP’s The Get A Game Plan Podcast. You can receive emergency alerts on most smartphones and tablets by downloading the new Alert FM App. It is free for basic service. The Get A Game Plan App is another resource available to help you and your family prepare for any type of emergency. You can download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide and find other information at www.getagameplan.org.

February 20, 2021

The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is seeking information from anyone who received damage due to the winter weather event this week.  The self-reporting survey, which can be found at damage.la.gov, will help local and state emergency managers collect data to move forward with the recovery process. 

This step should not replace reporting damage to your insurance agency. Anyone impacted by the winter storm should fill out the survey to report damage to your home or business (structures only, no vehicles). 

The survey is voluntary and does not guarantee any federal disaster relief assistance. It will be beneficial in assisting with the damage assessment process in Louisiana related to this event. For a flyer about the survey that can be distributed, click here. To fill out the report, visit: damage.la.gov.

Links to view maps of power outages in Louisiana: 

FMCSA
Friday, March 5, 2021

WASHINGTON - FMCSA has extended a REGIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARATION for the following States only: Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.  The emergency conditions caused by winter storm damage and heating and other fuel shortages in these six States have not abated.  Carriers and drivers providing direct assistance transporting supplies, goods, equipment, heating fuels, including propane, natural gas, and heating oil, and other fuel products, including gasoline, are granted emergency relief from CFR 49 Parts 390-399, except as restricted.  

See: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/emergency/extension-and-modification-regional-emergency-declaration-no-2021-001


DOTD
Waivers from federal safety regulations for trucking in effect in Louisiana

Monday, February 15, 2021 at 3:57:20 PM
Baton Rouge, LA – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced today that per Governor Edwards’s recent declaration of emergency due to the winter storm and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations on emergency declarations, waivers from federal safety regulations for trucking are currently in effect. These waivers include the hours-of-service regulations for carriers responding to the winter storm, and they will be in effect for the duration of the governor’s order, which expires March 12.

The regulations pertaining to this waiver can be found in 49 CFR Parts 390-399. The hours-of-service regulations are in 49 CFR Part 395. These regulations are enforced by Louisiana State Police, who is also actively monitoring our roadways and any orders impacting safety and roadway use. These regulations can be seen on the FMCSA website here. Governor Edwards’s emergency declaration can be read here.

The Governor’s Office, DOTD, and LSP urges motorists to stay off the roads during hazardous driving conditions. We will do everything we can to keep Louisiana’s highways and interstate system open in the event of freezing rain, sleet, or snow, and will prioritize the maintenance and opening of routes based on traffic volumes.

Call 511 or visit www.511la.org for additional information. Out-of-state travelers may call 1-888-ROAD-511(1-888-762-3511).

Motorists may also monitor the LA DOTD website at www.dotd.la.gov, by selecting MYDOTD, or by visiting the DOTD Facebook and Twitter pages.

Declarations by State
Most of our National Industry Partners are working to update their members of various state emergency declarations in response to the serve winter weather. Below are just two outlets that list emergency declarations by state: