State of emergency

The mayor declared a "state of emergency" with regard to the damage done to fisheries and waterways by the opening of the Bonnet Carre spillway. I saw this and thought maybe it makes us eligible for federal relief or something. It probably does, actually. But there's more to it.  What does this mean?

With the emergency declaration, Cantrell now has the ability to adapt any ordinances that could interfere with the steps the city takes to appropriately cope with the issue at hand. At the time of the proclamation, other nearby parishes had already issued their own state of emergency declarations, including St. Tammany, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes.

I don't get it. What "steps" do they need to take.  The mayor's press release says it gives her the power to  "suspend the provisions of any regulatory ordinance that prescribes the procedures for the conduct of local business along with other potential impediments to necessary action in coping with the emergency."  What businesses need to operate outside the bounds of ordinary regulation in these circumstances?