Press Release - USDOT Details Ongoing Efforts to Help Address Impacts of Hurricane Ida

The Biden-Harris Administration is immediately responding to the damage and impacts of Hurricane Ida. This ongoing effort includes mobilizing agencies and leveraging all the resources at the federal government's disposal to help people in Louisiana and across the Southeast.

As part of this process, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is working closely with state, local and federal agencies to provide all available resources to help people in Louisiana and across the Southeast respond to and recover from Hurricane Ida.

The USDOT's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced an Emergency Declaration that provides truck drivers flexibility to move critical freight to areas damaged by Ida. This flexibility will make it easier for truckers to haul in essential items like food, water, fuel, and power restoration equipment like utility poles, transformers and generators to help support emergency relief efforts.

This declaration is in place for Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. USDOT's top priority is safety, and as states respond to Hurricane Ida, FMCSA will work closely with its state and industry partners to monitor driver work hours and conditions for the duration of the exemption.

The FMCSA toll free number for emergency related information is active and calls are being answered. Since Friday evening, FMCSA has received over 200 phone calls, emails, and text messages inquiring about hours of service exemptions and state and federal declarations.

The USDOT's Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) activated an Emergency Relief Docket (ERD) that offers railroads the ability to obtain temporary waivers from safety regulations to help them speed up service recovery and restoration to move goods necessary for emergency relief efforts. The ERD ensures that routine safety compliance requirements do not unnecessarily interfere with legitimate efforts by a railroad to respond to an emergency situation.

The USDOT's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has briefed state DOTs regarding emergency response to damaged roads and bridges, and stands ready to support requests when they are received. FHWA's Emergency Relief program provides funding for highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic events.

The USDOT's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has been in contact with transit agency leaders in the area, including New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA). NORTA alerted FTA late last week that it would be moving its vehicles to higher ground as of Sunday and was prepared to utilize those vehicles for evacuation as well as post-storm recovery efforts.

This situation continues to develop and the Department of Transportation remains committed to assisting wherever it is needed.