Lafitte, Grand Isle get receptive ear to plea for flood protection
06:48 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Bill Capo / Eyewitness News
The mayors of Grand Isle and Lafitte went to Baton Rouge Tuesday to ask Governor Bobby Jindal for help with flood protection for their damaged and vulnerable cities.
Video: Watch the Story After Hurricanes Gustav and Ike severely damaged Grand Isle's levees, Mayor David Camardelle asked Governor Bobby Jindal for up to $50 million to supplement repairs by the Corps of Engineers, plus plans to boost storm protection levees and break-waters. Camardelle said the barrier island provides protection for other areas farther inland.
"To my brother Timmy in Lafitte, he had more water in his community. There was more water pushed toward South Lafourche Levee District, more water pushed toward Houma district."
"They are going to be stuck on stuck until we get a barrier system out there immediately so that we can protect what was not damaged by these two storms," said Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard.
After the latest Lafitte flood, Mayor Tim Kerner took plans to Jindal for 60 miles of eight-foot high levees to protect upper and lower Lafitte and Barataria at a cost of $60 million. He said the result would be reliable storm surge protection for 10,000 residents.
"What we are looking at now people wouldn't be devastated, they wouldn't have water in their house, and everybody would be high and dry," he said.
"It’s going to provide some assurance to those residents that this is a safe place to live,” said Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts. “It is going to save the federal government millions if not billions of dollars in disaster claims."
Neither Camardelle nor Kerner knew what sort of reception they would receive here in Baton Rouge. But Jindal told them he understands the need for these projects, and he is seeking funding for them.
"The good news in meeting with these mayors is there are at least three different places where we can go to get these dollars, CDBG dollars, the Corps' budget, as well as these surplus dollars,” said Jindal. “It’s too important for us not to do this. People's homes have been flooded twice now in three years."
The mayors left the meeting pleased and grateful, and hoping they will soon have the money to turn hurricane protection plans into reality.
"These communities would not survive if they didn't get the financial help. They are too small a community in the numbers who live there,” said State Senator John Alario. “But they are too important for the rest of the whole New Orleans and Jefferson Parish region. They are the first line of defense. If they don't survive, the rest of us won't survive."
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