LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — Although it has been nearly four years since hurricanes Laura and Delta decimated southwest Louisiana and caused an estimated $22 billion in damage nationwide, some residents say they are still far from recovery. Delays in Congress and a lengthy process to approve federal funding forced people in a city where one-fifth of the population falls below the poverty line to dip into their savings to afford rent. Some still live in FEMA trailers or remain in their damaged homes. Others are ensnared in ongoing legal battles with their insurance providers, and some have opted to leave the state altogether.
