KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- $3.75 million in federal funding secured for flood protection planning
- Projects include levees, drainage upgrades and storm surge barriers
- $5.9 billion coastal flood initiative advances toward construction
- Effort targets Louisiana’s highest storm surge flood risk area
St. Tammany Parish is moving forward with what officials tout as the largest single flood reduction initiative in Louisiana history, backed by $3.75 million in newly secured federal funding for two major coastal protection projects.
Parish President Mike Cooper announced the funding will support engineering and design work for the Lake Pontchartrain Storm Surge Reduction Project and the St. Tammany Coastal Storm and Flood Risk Management Project, a combined effort aimed at reducing hurricane and flood risk across the parish.
The bulk of the funding — $3.25 million — will advance the St. Tammany Coastal Storm and Flood Risk Management Project, a $5.9 billion initiative designed to address long-standing vulnerabilities to storm surge and flooding. Planned measures include new levee construction in the Slidell area, home elevations and improvements to existing drainage systems throughout the parish.
An additional $500,000 will support the Lake Pontchartrain Storm Surge Reduction Project, often referred to as the Lake Pontchartrain Barrier Project. First proposed more than 60 years ago, the project envisions a storm surge reduction feature at the Rigolets to help limit surge entering Lake Pontchartrain.
“These two projects will have life-changing impacts for St. Tammany families for generations to come,” Cooper said, adding that the projects are projected to prevent billions of dollars in flood-related damage once completed. He credited federal and local partners, including members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation and the St. Tammany Drainage and Levee Conservation District, for advancing the initiatives.
The funding will be used for engineering and design work, including determining the placement of flood protection features, modeling hurricane scenarios and evaluating potential impacts on wetlands and fisheries.
Council Chairwoman Cheryl Tanner said the investment strengthens the parish’s ability to withstand future storms.
“These citizens have long faced the consequences of hurricanes and flooding events, and once completed, our community will be much stronger and better prepared for unpredictable South Louisiana weather,” she said.
Suzanne Krieger, chairman of the St. Tammany Drainage and Levee Conservation District, said the funding reflects coordination across multiple levels of government and keeps the projects on track as planners work toward securing construction funding.
According to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, St. Tammany Parish’s shoreline faces the highest storm surge-related flood risk in coastal Louisiana. Officials say the two projects are designed to work together as a layered defense system — one aimed at reducing storm surge before it enters Lake Pontchartrain, and the other focused on protecting neighborhoods if flooding still occurs.
Local leaders said the latest funding positions the parish to move quickly once larger federal investments become available for construction.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
