Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) Deadline

BATON ROUGE (WBRZ) - The clock is ticking for those affected by February's tornadoes to receive assistance from the State Workforce Commission.

Wednesday, March 15 is the last day to get assistance from the commission. It's been more than a month since tornadoes touched down in parts of southeastern Louisiana. Dallis Urwin saw an EF-2 tornado rip through his hometown of Watson.

"It feels like it's been a long time because I'm struggling..to do anything," Urwin said.

Urwin recalled the moments before the cyclone passed. He said he was able to throw a mattress over him before the roof blew off. The worst part of it all, he said, was walking outside to see his mobile home business gone.

"When I walked outside I knew it was a tornado, but when I walked outside it was beyond anything I thought it would look like," Urwin said.

Urwin is just one of the many survivors working to make ends meet over a month after the tornado. To help those struggling with income during this time, the Louisiana Workforce Commission has a program in place for those like Urwin.

Tornado victims can apply for disaster unemployment assistance by March 15. In Livingston Parish, 18 people have already applied and been approved. Urwin said he will apply before the Wednesday cut off.

"It would help me out a lot, you can't do nothing if you got nothing," Urwin said.

If approved, financial assistance will be available through August.


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