BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Louisiana Recovery Authority says even people who have insurance should register with FEMA if they were affected by hurricanes Gustav or Ike -- and they need to do it soon.

"Not only does registering for FEMA open doors for our residents who have been affected by hurricanes Gustav and Ike, it also helps the state get a better sense of the level of home damage across Louisiana," LRA executive director Paul Rainwater said.

He said people should complete an application with the Small Business Administration, too. He says doing that can open the way to help from other agencies.

"Completing an SBA application can open avenues to other FEMA assistance programs, even if the applicant is denied SBA assistance," Rainwater said. "While it may seem like an inconvenience, not completing the SBA process could come back and haunt those needing home repair funds from FEMA."

The SBA has issued almost 230,000 applications to those affected by Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana, with only 15,598 of those returned as of Nov. 3. For Hurricane Ike, the agency has issued almost 23,500 applications and received only 2,415.

Fifty-three parishes were named disaster areas for Gustav, and 20 of them also were hit by Ike.

Those hit by both storms were: Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Sabine, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, and Vernon.

Those hit only by Hurricane Gustav were: Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberville, La Salle, Lafayette, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Richland, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Washington, West Baton Rouge, West Carroll, West Feliciana and Winn.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)