Long, hard recovery beginning in SW La.

Officials are warning of months of recovery ahead after Hurricane Laura tore up southwest Louisiana early Thursday.

"It's very, very catastrophic," Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a Sunday afternoon press conference. "It is widespread. And it's going to take quite a while to recover.

"But we can make people's lives better today."

The governor encouraged people to do what they can to help hurricane victims with donated water and other supplies, as long as the givers have coordinated with agencies or officials in the affected areas.

On Friday, President Donald Trump set one vital assistance program in motion within hours of receiving a request from Edwards and the state's U.S. senators. The federal major disaster declaration makes people and businesses in six Louisiana parishes eligible for individual aid. The parishes are Cameron, Calcasieu, Beauregard, Vernon, Jefferson Davis and Allen. Steps are underway to add more parishes to the list.

The president has also extended a measure that allows the federal government to pay the entire cost for activating more than 6,000 Louisiana National Guard troops who are manning shelters, clearing roads, and distributing food,water, tarps, ice and generators.

Trump came to Louisiana Saturday to tour storm-damaged areas.

"One thing I know about this state is they work fast," Trump said at a press conference. "We'll supply what we have to supply. You know what that is, right? A thing called green."

Working fast or not, Louisiana faces widespread tragedy and immense challenges:

--Laura killed 14 people, including eight who died from carbon monoxide poisoning linked to improperly ventilated generators. One boating death was reported, along with several fatalities resulting from trees falling on homes.

--As of 7 p.m. Sunday, nearly four days after Laura's eye came ashore in central Cameron Parish, about 320,000 homes and businesses were without power. That was despite an unprecedented response from utility companies in Louisiana and around the country.

Entergy, which has 88,000 blacked-out customers in Calcasieu alone, is supplying 13,000 utility specialists, Edwards said. Cleco adds another 3,000, and 700 more have been brought in by electric cooperatives.

The job of restoring power goes far beyond downed power lines and poles. Edwards quoted the Public Service Commission as saying 500 utility towers have been destroyed, including some 300-foot towers.

--Water is as daunting a problem as power. In the damage zone, 124 water systems that serve 400,000 people were out of action as of Sunday evening.

Some are down only because the power is out, Edwards said. But some, especially those in Sulphur, DeRidder, Lake Charles and Leesville, have sustained damage to the systems that will require additional repair.

Trump said Saturday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has delivered 2.6 million liters of water and 1.4 million meals.

--Nearly 9,000 people who evacuated homes in the storm's path or have been moved because their homes are unlivable are being put up in hotels and motels in Louisiana. Another nearly 6,000 people are in Texas hotels and motels.

State and federal officials were ready with a plan before the storm to house evacuees in hotels and motels because of COVID-19, Edwards said.

But "logistically it is much, much harder from a transportation perspective, from a nutrition perspective and just management of a shelter operation when you put people up in hotels," Edwards said.

FEMA aid

Individuals and businesses who sustained storm damage in the six parishes in the disaster declaration should register as soon as they can with FEMA, administrator Tony Robinson said.

They can sign up at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621 FEMA. The hearing impaired can call 1-800-462-7586. The hours are 7 a.m.-10 p.m. seven days a week.

Some people have already received denial notification. But Robinson said they shouldn't be discouraged. They should file claims with their insurers if they have them and submit settlement documentation to FEMA.