Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness - State of LouisianaSince 1990, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emgergency Preparedness has coordinated several hundred State Disaster Declarations authorized under the Governor's signature. The GOHSEP staff is poised and ready to serve the people of Louisiana at a moment’s notice.
Disaster Recovery Division - Business

Tax Relief in Disaster Situations
Special tax law provisions may help businesses recover financially from the impact of a disaster, especially when the federal government declares their location to be a major disaster area. Depending on the circumstances, the IRS may grant additional time to file returns and pay taxes. Businesses in a federally declared disaster area can get a faster refund by claiming losses related to the disaster on the tax return for the previous year, usually by filing an amended return.

If you have damaged or lost property in a location declared by the President as a major disaster area, you may be able to get some money back from the IRS right now. Learn more by reviewing Tax Relief in Disaster Situations.

For more information visit the Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief webpage of the IRS.
Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loans
SBA provides low interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, non-profit organizations to repair or replace real estate, personal property, machinery & equipment, inventory and business assets that have been damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster.
Business Physical Disaster Loan
If your business or private, nonprofit organization - large or small - has suffered physical damage as a result of a disaster and is located in a declared disaster area, you may be eligible for financial assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
For information on this disaster loan visit the Business Physical Disaster Loans webpage or you can contact a SBA Customer Service Center by dialing 1-800-659-2955.

Economic Injury Disaster Loan
If your small business or private, nonprofit organization has suffered economic injury, regardless of physical damage, and is located in a declared disaster area, you may be eligible for financial assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
For more information on this disaster loan visit the Economic Injury Disaster Loans webpage or you can contact a SBA Customer Service Center by dialing 1-800-659-2955.

Helpful links for SBA Disaster Loans:
SBA Fact Sheet for Businesses of All Sizes
How to Apply for an SBA Disaster Loan

Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center
The Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center (LA BEOC) is a joint partnership between Louisiana Economic Development (LED), the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), the National Incident Management Systems & Advanced Technologies (NIMSAT) Institute at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI) at Louisiana State University.

The LA BEOC supports the coordination of activities and resources of businesses and volunteer organizations in Louisiana and across the nation to improve response and self-sufficiency, reduce reliance on FEMA and other federal assistance in order to maximize business, industry and economic stabilization, returning the business environment to normal operations as quickly as possible.

The LA BEOC will work with businesses to improve their disaster preparedness; improve communication with business and industry before, during and after disaster events; rapidly develop sound economic-impact estimates to support decision making and requests for business assistance; coordinate response efforts to assist businesses in their efforts to return to normal operations as quickly as possible; and help coordinate post disaster economic recovery.

For more information about the LA BEOC, click here

Disaster Recovery Economic Development Programs
To see Economic Development Programs offered to municipalities and parish governments visit the Economic Development Programs webpage for the Louisiana Office of Community Development (OCD), Disaster Recovery Unit.