Governor decries 'red tape' in visit of towns hit by Rita

More on Blanco's visit

The Federal Emergency Management Agency was not a topic of polite conversation among local officials.

"My new four-letter word is FEMA," said state Sen. Nick Gautreaux, D-Abbeville, who was traveling with the governor.

Iberia Parish President Will Langlinais said the federal agency had initially not granted a disaster designation for Iberia Parish, where hundreds of homes were flooded, and instead declared a disaster in Iberville Parish, which suffered minimal damage.

"FEMA had us confused with Iberville Parish," said a clearly exasperated Langlinais. "It shouldn't take this long to respond to people in need."