Lake Charles business owner pleads for help for her community devastated by Hurricane Laura
People don't realize how bad things are here, says Victoria Huber, owner of Vows By Victoria.
A Louisiana business owner publicly pleaded for help on Fox News Sunday morning, painting a grim and desperate image as her community copes with the aftermath of Hurricane Laura.
Bridal store owner Victoria Huber joined "America's News HQ," to detail the destruction of her 20-year gown business ravaged by the powerful storm, but the interview took a turn as she described the damage on the ground and the extent of her community's suffering.
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"My concern right now is not my store," an emotional Huber told host Arthel Neville. "It’s my community. It’s the people around us. The devastation here, I’ve lived through two hurricanes...what we see now is the worst — the worst disaster that I think Louisiana has ever seen.
"What happens to these people who don’t have a dollar in their checking account?"
"They’re telling us it could be up to four weeks without water. We have no water. We have no electricity," Huber continued. "There’s no N95 masks for people to get into their homes to try to save anything that’s left. People are scared to evacuate because of corona. They don’t have money because of corona. They don’t have the funds to be able to get out of here."
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Huber said she was horrified to learn that many of her employees have been confined to their cars after their homes were destroyed.
"I had an elderly woman that worked for us threatening to sleep in a tent last night. It’s really really bad here," she said. "I’m horrified to think that some of our help has been sent away. I just, I really need to plead with our community and with our nation, people don’t realize how bad it is here.
"One out of every five people I know have nothing," she said. "They have nothing."
The coronavirus pandemic "took a hard hit" on the state, Huber said, leaving many in her community completely "broke." As a result, many residents "stayed in their house, in their homes during this when they shouldn’t have because they didn’t have the money to evacuate," she explained.
"Now," Huber said, "they’re applying for FEMA [aid] and being denied...they’re saying if we have insurance, they’re denying us.
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But "What happens to these people who don’t have a dollar in their checking account?" she asked.
FEMA, in an email to Fox News, stated that despite people being turned down for funds, applicants “should not be discouraged if they receive a letter indicating they are ineligible for assistance.” Rather, according to the agency, each person can file an appeal by following the steps outlined in the letter they received.
Hurricane Laura survivors can register online with FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362.
Huber broke down in tears as she described "elderly people sleeping in mold and wet conditions" who she said have spent days trapped in their homes.
"I have been feeding the homeless people walking around without water, without food...we need more help here," she said.
"I mean, we’ve heard that they said it’s not as bad as they expected. My God, I mean, I don’t know a business that survived this."
Huber's plea for help comes a day after President Trump surveyed the damage in the state and pledged the federal government's support in helping communities recover from the powerful storm.
"This is going to get horrific. There’s no water. People can’t bathe...they’re drinking out of swimming pools."
The U.S. death toll from the Category 4 hurricane rose to 16 Saturday, with more than half of those killed by carbon monoxide poisoning from unsafe operation of generators. The latest deaths from poisoning included an 80-year-old woman and an 84-year-old man.
Addressing the president directly in a powerful last appeal, Huber begged "I want help for my community.
"I don’t want people turned away. I want people here helping these people get out of this area. There are no hotel vouchers left. You have people, single moms, sleeping in cars with kids," she said.
"This is going to get horrific. There’s no water. People can’t bathe. I mean, they’re drinking out of swimming pools," she said. "It is horrific, and to not see what is going on here...," Huber said.
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"I cried for my business the first day," Huber said. "We set up a GoFundMe account to help rebuild our business, [but now] that account is going to go to help build my community."