LA divvies up fed$ for coastal projects

The state announced Sept. 11 how it will divide $41M from the federal government’s National Disaster Resilience Competition among 10 flood resilience and community relocation projects – across six parishes - along the Louisiana coast. The federal funds will be spent in Lafourche, Plaquemines, St. John the Baptist, Terrebonne, Jefferson, and St. Tammany that are considered highly vulnerable to flooding, storms, rising sea levels and coastal erosion. The state had narrowed the number of projects to 10 in April, and unveiled this week how the monies will be spent. Lafourche Parish will get the largest share at $10.5M; Plaquemines gets more than $6.6M; St. John was allotted $6M; Terrebonne $6.45M for two projects; Jefferson $6M; and St. Tammany $5.3M. The projects were developed through Louisiana's Strategic Adaptations for Future Improvements program. Gov. John Bel Edwards told NOLA.com that the projects were "cutting-edge" responses to the state's "increasing vulnerability to weather events and coastal erosion." (Source: NOLA.com 09/11/18)