Hurricane Isaac costs US state over $100m

HOUSTON - Louisiana state agencies have spent more than $100 million to deal with Hurricane Isaac and the costs are expected to rise, a local news website said Thursday.

The costs, estimated at $116 million, include money used to mobilize the National Guard, set up shelters, provide food and water to hurricane-affected residents as well as pay state employees for storm response, according to the website NOLA.com.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was expected to cover at least 75 percent of the costs, and the state has to cover the remaining $29 million in costs, said the report.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is reportedly asking the federal government to cover a larger portion of the costs.

Hurricane Isaac struck the Gulf Coast last week, dumping heavy rain across southern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and pushing in storm surge that led to widespread flooding.

Isaac was the first hurricane to strike the United States this year, hitting New Orleans seven years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city, causing an estimated 1,800 deaths.

The full scope of the damage Isaac left behind in Louisiana is not yet clear. Emergency officials said earlier this week that at least 13,000 homes were damaged.

About 95,000 people are seeking individual aid from FEMA, for grants to help repair homes, according to the governor's office.

The hurricane also caused pollution problems.

The Coast Guard said authorities were handling more than 90 pollution cases, including six active, minor oil leaks from storage tanks and well heads damaged during the hurricane.