Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

An additional 10 parishes have been added to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Blue Roof Program, including Washington.

The full list of added parishes includes Washington, East and West Baton Rouge, East and West Feliciana, Iberville, Pointe Coupe, St. Martin and St. Mary parishes. Residents can sign up for the program at www.blueroof.us. Once on the website, residents can sign up for Blue Roof assistance using a Right of Entry (ROE) form, which gathers information about the residence.

The ROE is a legal document that allows Corps workers to access your property and assess your home’s damage. The ROE also allows contracted crews to work on your roof. Residents can call toll-free 1-888-ROOF-BLU (1-888-766-3258) for more information regarding this program.

“With the state and FEMA including these 10 parishes to the Blue Roof program’s eligible list, USACE can now extend this valuable no-cost service to more residents with Hurricane Ida storm damage to their roofs,” said Col. Zachary Miller, commander of the USACE Recovery Mission.

According to the Corps, Operation Blue Roof protects property, reduces temporary housing costs, and allows residents to remain in their homes while recovering from the storm. This program is for primary residences or a permanently occupied rental property with less than 50-percent structural damage. Vacation rental properties are not eligible for this program.

After installation of the blue roof, the structure is declared habitable. However, not all roof types qualify for the program. For example, flat roofs or made of metal or clay, slate, or asbestos tile do not qualify for the program.

The Corps offers the following tips for residents:

Tips for Blue Roof:

• Remove debris from your roof.
• Secure your pets. Homeowners with pets who have submitted Right of Entry forms should ensure pets are placed inside or properly restrained away from the structure in order for workers to safely access the roof. A loose animal on the property may cause a delay in the installation of temporary roofing.
• Beware of solicitations. Blue Roof representatives never solicit participation, nor will they ask for Social Security or bank account numbers.
• Look for identification. Corps employees who do assessments for Operation Blue Roof carry U.S. Government ID cards. If you don’t see it, ask for it. Contractors will have a copy of signed Right of Entry form.
• Representatives from Operation Blue Roof may call to clarify information or location, but they will not ask for sensitive information.
• Don’t pay. Operation Blue Roof is free to residents.
• If in doubt, report people claiming to be government workers to local law-enforcement agencies or to the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721.