WASHINGTON -- United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., has announced that Louisiana will receive nearly $37.5 million in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for damages incurred from Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav. Included in this amount is $24.5 million for St. Mary's Academy to repair extensive damages caused by flooding and levee breaches during Hurricane Katrina.

"Four years after Hurricane Katrina, evidence of the storm's catastrophic effect on our communities, particularly extensive damage remaining to our schools, is still evident," said Sen. Landrieu. "These funds provided to St. Mary's Academy will enable the school to make the long-needed repairs necessary to begin the path towards restoring the campus' prestige. This is an important step, but it is only one of many that need to be made by the federal government to help residents in Orleans Parish. I look forward to working with FEMA in the future as we continue to help restore and rebuild southern Louisiana."

"It is a long-awaited confirmation of an anxiously anticipated reality," said Sister Clare of Assisi, Pierre, Vice President of the Sisters of the Holy Family. "We sincerely appreciate all of the efforts of Sen. Landrieu's office to facilitate what has proven to be almost insurmountable obstacles. St. Mary's Academy has a long history, of more than 150 years, in this community and this facility will help ensure its longevity for time to come. We'd further like to thank the Senator for her tireless efforts to keep New Orleans on the forefront of our nation's mind."

Of the seven following projects funded by these grants, six are for damages incurred from Hurricane Katrina:

* $24.5 million to St. Mary's Academy for campus reparations to the damages incurred from Hurricane Katrina.

* $1.4 million to the Dixie Electric Membership Corporation. The powerful winds of Hurricane Gustav damaged 3,000 miles of electrical lines. These funds will provide repairs to the distribution system in Livingston Parish. These funds will be used to pay for the repairs to 3,000 miles of electrical lines that were damaged from the high winds of Hurricane Gustav.

* $1.4 million to the Louisiana Department of Social Services. These funds will be used to make repairs from the storm surge and flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina to the department.

* $1.1 million to the City Park Improvement Association to repair the damages caused by the storm surge and flooding associated with Hurricane Katrina.

* $5.1 million to the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center for damages incurred from Hurricane Katrina to the Canal Streetcar Line Splices.

* $1.4 millon to the Housing Authority of New Orleans to repair Press Park Homes.

* $2.3 million to Lafon Nursing Facility of the Holy Family for severe damages from flooding.