VIDALIA — Louisiana citizens cannot yet receive aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for flood damage, though state and local governments are already eligible to receive some reimbursements for the cost of emergency measures taken in response to the flood.

Twenty-six Louisiana parishes are part of an emergency declaration.

“Under that (declaration), the state and parishes can be reimbursed up to 75 percent of the cost incurred for emergency measures,” FEMA spokesman Ray Perez said.

However, Perez said, citizens and small businesses cannot receive support until a federal state of disaster is declared.

“Until there is that declaration, people can’t apply,” he said. “There’s no declaration at this moment. We’re only supporting emergency measures.”

Those measures include the cost of installing warning devices — such as street signs — as well as the expenses shelters, sandbags and the construction of levees accrue. Additionally, costs of precautions taken to prevent health and safety hazards can be reimbursed, Perez said.

In Mississippi, the City of Natchez is eligible for reimbursements, but private businesses are not, said Charlie Henderson, a FEMA spokesman.

Matt Young, a spokesman for the U.S. Small Business Administration — FEMA’s sister business — said he recommends that businesses apply for an Economic Injury Disaster loan, which relieves some of the financial stress caused when businesses have to shut down due to a natural disaster, such as a flood, if they cannot receive the FEMA reimbursement.

“The loans help with working capital — to pay monthly payments (including) rent, mortgage, payroll — that they would have had incurred had the disaster not happened,” Young said.

Businesses should call 1-800-621-3362 to register with FEMA, which puts them into the SBA evaluation process, he said.

Tim Tyson, a FEMA spokesman, said a federal declaration of disaster, which subsequently leads to citizens receiving financial aid, is proclaimed upon a state’s request and subsequent government approval.

“Once the declaration is made, then FEMA can come in,” he said. “Just because there’s an impending situation, FEMA doesn’t just ride in. It’s a declaration of the state.”

However, some Louisiana residents expressed frustration upon being told that aid was not yet available to citizens.

Gail Netterville, a Vidalia resident, said she evacuated her home nearly two weeks ago after her lights were shut off.

In some areas of her house, she said, the water is almost three-and-a-half feet deep. Her house is not protected by a levee.

“I’ve called (FEMA) since we left two weeks ago,” she said. “We’ve gotten no assistance. I’ve been in touch with the government three times already. I sent them some pictures on Saturday, and I’m bouncing against a brick wall there, too.”

Netterville said she has no homeowner’s insurance due to her house’s location.

“It’s hard to get (insurance) after Katrina,” she said. “I just need help financially to know that I can get my house back in living order. My house is going to have to be gutted — new insulation, tiling, carpet.”

However, Netterville has been able to salvage some of her furniture.

“We carried our furniture out in a pontoon boat about two weeks ago,” she said.

On the other hand, Perez said, citizens may be eligible for reimbursement of property loss if a state of disaster is declared.

“Eligibility depends on the situation,” he said. “There’s an 800 number people can call, or (they can apply) online.”

And generally, he added, eligible citizens receive help fairly quickly.

As of now, Netterville’s staying with her mother in Natchez.

“There’s no telling when we’ll get to go home,” she said. “There will be no electricity or anything until we can drive back in.”

This year alone, 36 disasters have been declared, according to fema.gov.

However, Tyson, who has been responding to the Alabama tornados, said FEMA is experiencing no strains in funding or manpower.

“FEMA has people all over the country — there are enough resources and there are enough people to respond to disasters,” he said. “FEMA has a substantial base of people to deploy.”

FEMA personnel are deployed for 30 days, and then they are free to go back home or to stay and work if they so choose, he said.

“We do the work we need to do, wherever we are,” Perez said.