North Louisiana Parishes Receive Funding for Planning Grants
Release Date: May 23, 2007
Release Number: 1603-642
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NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently approved funding to update existing hazard mitigation plans for eight Louisiana parishes Bienville, Caldwell, Catahoula, LaSalle, Madison, Ouachita, Richland and Winn.
The $900,000 in grant monies comes from FEMA's Expanded Mitigation Strategies Planning Grant Pilot. The program allows jurisdictions with FEMA-approved local hazard mitigation plans in place by Oct. 29, 2006, to apply for up to $150,000 to update their local mitigation plans. These updates will reduce the potential loss of life and property in future disasters. After submitting proposed updates, the eight parishes qualified for grants worth $112,500 each.
Though all parishes will use the allotted monies to update their existing hazard mitigation plans, each parish will prioritize its own mitigation needs accordingly. Ouachita Parish will include a screening study to review repetitive loss properties, identification of proposed mitigation actions and prioritization of proposed mitigation projects.
"Ouachita Parish appreciates the grant money and welcomes the opportunity to take a positive approach in being proactive in implementing mitigation measures to lessen damages from future disasters," said Walter M. Caldwell, IV, president of Ouachita Parish Police Jury.
To update its plan, Winn Parish will compile a list of properties identified as having flooding and drainage problems, including repetitive loss and severe repetitive loss properties.
"Winn Parish welcomes the opportunity to re-evaluate its potential hazard areas and to identify solutions that will mitigate these hazards. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with FEMA in this endeavor," said Winn Parish President Robert Hutto.
Specific mitigation areas for each of the other six parishes are as follows:
- Bienville Parish will incorporate new community, hazard and damage data and focus on mitigation projects for critical facilities.
- Caldwell Parish plans to increase public awareness for dealing with potential future disasters, as well as implement standards and regulation to control the generation of new flooding.
- Catahoula Parish will place priority on improving drainage from the Railroad Canal to the Pumping Station Canal and the flow into the Little and Black Rivers. It will also address the need for improved localized drainage along Highway 124 and into the Tensas and Ouachita Rivers.
- LaSalle Parish will compile a list of properties identified as having flooding and drainage problems, including repetitive loss and severe repetitive loss properties.
- Madison Parish's update emphasizes improving drainage ways along Panola Bayou, Sutt Bayou, Will Lake, Grassy Lake Canal and U.S. Highways 65 and 80 in order to protect surrounding areas from flooding.
- Richland Parish will focus on improvements to the storm water drainage into Bayou Macon, Burns Bayou and Steep Bayou. Mitigation efforts in these areas will drastically reduce the number of flooded structures in the parish.
The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration, to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 23-May-2007 11:21:49