New Anti-Flooding Ideas Urged for South Louisiana

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It’s not possible for every south Louisiana community to be surrounded by a levee, but one state group says there are options available to reduce the risk of flooding.

The Advocate reports a new subcommittee of the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority has started its task of coordinating agencies and groups and educating communities about non-levee options.

“I think this is extraordinarily important,” said John Barry, a member of the state coastal authority and vice president of Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East. He said he has been disappointed that since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, there has not been enough focus on finding ways to reduce flooding risks outside of levee construction.

The state master plan for coastal restoration and protection includes plans for more than $10 billion to be spent on “non-structural” options to reduce flood risks. Those voluntary options include: elevating homes and businesses, land use planning and assistance if a community wants to relocate.

Karim Belhadjali, project manager for the master plan, said there is the potential for costs to reach as much as $23.4 billion a year from flood damage if no action is taken. With the plan in place, that cost could be reduced to $5.5 billion, he said.

However, the master plan makes that assumption based on an estimated 80 percent of the coastal population participating. To achieve that level will require education and acceptance of the plan by local communities, he said.

There will be challenges in achieving that, he said, including inconsistent enforcement of ordinances and public perception.

“Some people don’t like the look of elevated homes,” Belhadjali said.

Windell Curole, CPRA board member and general manager of the South Lafourche Levee District, said it’s time people started thinking the way south Louisiana residents did generations ago.

Homes used to be elevated in anticipation of floods _ even if the houses were behind levees _ because people knew they lived in a delta and flooding was something they lived with, he said.

“We have to reteach ourselves what you call common sense,” Curole said.

Curole said there also needs to be more education for adults about the actual flood risks in the areas in which they live by developing maps that show flooding over the past couple of decades.

“Just like we have a red map (showing coastal land loss), we should have a blue map,” Curole said.

The next subcommittee meeting will be in May or April.