Hurricane Camille came ashore in August 1969 as a dangerous Category 5. The destruction didn't stop at the Mississippi Coast. Like Hurricane Ida in 2021, Hurricane Camille unleashed its fury on the Northeastern United States. Destructive flash flooding struck the Common Wealth of Virginia taking more lives.
Wade Guice, was the Harrison County Mississippi Civil Defense Director in 1969. He coordinated the evacuation as Hurricane Camille approached the Mississippi Coast. He is credited with saving thousands of lives. Wade passed away in 1996, but he remains a legend on the Gulf Coast.
Five years after Hurricane Camille, Wade gave an interview with the Delta-Democrat Times. They were writing a story on the progress of the recovery. Wade gives us lessons learned we need to take to heart.
"I hope that if we ever have another storm that people will get the hell out of town," Guice said. "I believe they would be more inclined to leave if another storm comes--it was worse than war." - Wade Guice
In the late 1980s Ouachita Parish was working on it's Emergency Operation Plan (EOP). Civil Defense Director Jackie Rayborn Little travelled to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to meet with Wade and his team. They reviewed and discussed the health annex and other sections of Harrison County EOP. Parts of the Harrison County EOP were incorporated into the Ouachita Parish EOP. The State of Louisiana incorporated parts of the Ouachita Parish EOP into the State template (Pelican Plan) for other parishes working on their EOP.
All these EOP's have changes a lot of over the years as they should. If you look close enough, Wade's groundbreaking planning work is still these plans. We need to remember Wade Guice for his work on the Gulf Coast and the help he gave Ouachita Parish and the State if Louisiana.
The next time you receive your daily digest of world news, remember this. The origin of the Homeland Security program began with conflict in Europe. In WW I the Council of National Defense was created. In WW II the Civilian Defense was established. The Mayor of New York had a lot to do with establishing the Civilian Defense.
The war in Europe was raging. Adding to the tensions, Americans were seeing reports about the civilian bombing campaigns. They were worried about attacks on U.S. Cities. In a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt, New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia wrote:
“There is a need for a strong Federal Department to coordinate activities, and not only to coordinate but to initiate and get things going. Please bear in mind that up to this war and never in our history, has the civilian population been exposed to attack. The new technique of war has created the necessity for developing new techniques of civilian defense.” – Source U.S. Homeland Security
President Franklin Roosevelt responded to these growing concerns creating the Office of Civilian Defense (OCD) in 1941.
Many years ago, I was at a meeting, and heard Ouachita Parish Police Juror Adele Ransom mention the Civilian Defense. After the meeting I went to ask her about that reference. I did not say a word, I just listened. She knew all about it.
The Cold War was a big influence. There was a time when accidental missile launch was a part of your local Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). The Civilian Defense transitioned to the Civil Defense. There were a number of laws passed over the years. FEMA was established in 1979 by Executive Order as a result of Three Mile Island.
The Civil Defense programs transitioned to the Office of Emergency Preparedness in the 1990s. During the 1990's the FEMA Director served as part of the President's Cabinet. Following the September 11th attacks, some fast decisions were made. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created and organizations like FEMA were folded inside DHS. Local and state programs transitioned to Homeland Security.
While a lot has changed, the basics have not. Make your plan on a blue-sky day. Build your management team. Teach your people how to prepare and mitigate their risk. Communicate with your people. Make your people part of the plan. Develop a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
So, the next time you see the latest war news from Europe, remember where you come from.
I am very proud of some of the local work going on in Northeast Louisiana.
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FEMA and local knowledge.
An Americana cultural reference from the music of the 1980s, Tommy and Gina represent the spirit of our unalienable rights
and pursuit of happiness. They have always lived in America as part of the
middle class.
Young and in love, it was Tommy and Gina against the world. They
shouldered our tax burden, built America and defended us time and again.
This mix of youthful spirit and adolescent angst has no bounds.
If you look closely, you can see Tommy and Gina. They are among us.
In 2022, Russia unjustly invaded Ukraine attacking its
population centers with impunity. The world bore witness to the dead, dying and
defiant civilians in the streets.
With their spirit of unalienable rights and pursuit of
happiness, Tommy and Gina repelled the invasion. The fight in Ukraine has
reminded the world who Tommy and Gina are, what they stand for, and what they
bring to the table.
Note - "The Black Flood," was inspired by HUD's $100 Million dollar flood mitigation investment in Louisiana's ten most impacted and distressed (MID) Parishes (2016 flood). Ouachita Parish is one of the ten. The funding must bring flood risk reduction to low- and moderate-income areas. The people need help.
The Black Flood: Help will come to the Ouachita River Valley
It floods here so much when it rains. We pass our babies out the window to evacuate from the rising water. Help us Mr. Low-mod.
They say flood relief is coming, but I don’t know. I will leave this land.
The sea of brown water oozed like syrup around the community. The Black Flood lasted for days. It was so hard on the people.
The shooting at night, it scares the children. Stop the killing and the drugs Mr. Low-mod. Is there a program to help us? . And God said to his children, "Why do you ask Mr. Low-mod for assistance? The good book tells you I am here and would never leave you. If you pray to heal this land, no man shall stand in the way. They will answer to me.I will bestow wisdom and direct these men to treat the land."
The twister howled across the lake that night, as the
kids were making their lists for Santa's visit Christmas
night.
The neighborhood was excited by the roar of the train, thinking Santa had come early on the Polar Express
train.
The Christmas Angel took Peter by the hand.
and ascended north, toward the Star of Bethlehem.
Each Christmas Eve the kids will gather and look
toward the north, remembering their friend Peter and
the savior that was born.
Isaiah 9:10 says, “The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.” We shall build a stronger neighborhood in loving memory of our childhood friend Peter.
In a field on the
outskirts of town, God’s children gathered at dusk. When the old men finished
talking, it was quiet. The sun had set. The air was thick with kerosene and
fresh woodchips were strewn upon the ground. The silence was broken by the
gallop of horses as the men crossed the field carrying torches to light their
way. The children let out a thunderous cheer when they lit the cross. The night
sky glowed red from afar.
That was more than fifty
years ago. The field is empty now. The collision of darkness with 20th Century
America gave rise to champions of freedom. Across the southland we remember
their sacrifices. We remember their journey.
Today, the sun shines
brightly, but the land remains unwell. Filled with life, color and song, we see
the promise in all God’s children.
You are so dismissive. You don’t know about Birmingham, Alabama in 1963, or Selma 1965. I grew up hearing these stories. I heard the dog whistle in Virginia.
Damn, damn, damn! I’m trying to reach you.
You make me so mad. I’m trying to talk with you. My family
did not own slaves. I wasn’t raised to be racist. You come at me with that attitude, and I get frustrated.
Damn, damn, damn! I’m trying to reach you.
Our Heavenly Father, our tongues are tied, and the children are bootless. We lost our teacher under the Memphis sky. We ask you for wisdom to heal our land from the scourge of racism, persistent poverty and flooding.
I have spent the last three decades researching and developing projects to recover and mitigate future risks. Some years ago, I was working on a project in Mississippi and noticed all the blues artist, singer, painters, writers, poets and musicians that Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas had given us. Looking at a national heat map I built of federal disaster declarations since the early 1960s, I wondered about the relationship.
Then I considered the decades of persistent poverty, civil unrest (Birmingham 1963, Selma 1965, burning crosses, others) and other information from the Smithsonian Institute. Is all this adversity yielding creativity in the population? Is this how we got B.B. King. His hometown is no stranger to epic storms and other social challenges. Neither is Clarksdale, Mississippi. The same is true for much of the Southland.
Is this nature's way of helping us heal ourselves?
Every few months I dig a little deeper into this subject. Now I have a project that requires clarity on the relationship. Stay tuned.
Northeast Louisiana (NELA) has awakened. We're no longer a black and white photograph from the 1950s. Murals, sculptures, poetry readings, art galleries, museums, musical performances and festivals dot the landscape. In 2023, the City of West Monroe introduced the Ouachita River Blues Society (ORBS). The West Monroe-Monroe area now takes its rightful place alongside Memphis, Clarksdale. Greenville, Indianola, Natchez and New Orleans. Thats what ORBS means to the community.
Since the Great Flood of 2016, we have been in what looks like a full-on Renaissance in our community, but that's not the whole story. The blend of business and art is spreading in the Ouachita River Valley. I will stay with that geographic characterization, but it encompasses all of Northeast Louisiana.
Aside from nourishing our minds and souls, the current explosion of art and cultural happenings has an economic role. It's in our economic interest that our artists thrive and do well. We need them to publish their work from NELA. In every media interview they give, they will ask where they live and talk about home. We are looking very attractive to remote workers. There are cool things to do and see. The art and culture helps our leaders and economic developers with their business development efforts. We look attractive.
Remote workers will want to live and play in downtown Monroe and West Monroe. Some will have an interest in hunting and fishing in the rural areas.
There are so many people and groups responsible for this transformation taking place. Our leaders know who they are. NELA is changing, we cannot go back.
For the third time in as many weeks I was in a meeting and the subject of how we communicate with one another came up. To add context, we were talking about community projects and flood relief for Low to moderate income areas devastated during the 2016 flood. The Governor has directed $100 Million in HUD dollars to help the people in these areas including Ouachita Parish. All voices will be needed. All-hands on deck.
Many of us have spent our careers speaking publicly in a way not to offend anyone. We are all Americans, all God's children, so we are all the same. But we're not. There are cultural differences, life experience differences and economic differences. Serving as an elected official is hard work.
The community is changing. We need to adjust how we are communicating to speed progress on these issues. This was said to me yesterday. All my Caucasian, Black, Asian, Hispanic and Native American friends, if you are engaged in a discussion on race, speak plainly and dont hunt and peck for words to make a sentence with no substance. Same is true with public speaking. It's time to go there. We are all still learning. Us Baby Boomers are running out of time to make sure we dont leave a mess for our kids and grandkids. We need to speed progress along.
Finally, I was in a public meeting on black violence at Richwood High School a year ago this October. Leaders from across the community attended. State Representative Pat Moore called the meeting and spoke. I had heard her speak on these issues before. What she had to say that day and how she communicated her message made an impression. These are difficult subjects. Thank you, State Representative Pat Moore.
Source: Local Knowledge
Photograph provided by Tom Malmay
Meeting called by State Representative Pat Moore on violence in the Black Community. Mayor Ellis is providing a readout from his breakout group.
I dont talk about Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that much. I usually refer to them as the 2005 storms, personal. On August 29th, I remember most of the media reporting we dodged a bullet all afternoon. Before I turned in that evening, I watched a few minutes of CNN coverage. Jeanne Meserve and her videographer were reporting live somewhere in New Orleans. She commented that they noticed water rising from where it was earlier in the evening. The desk anchor even new that did not sound right. He said he would get his producer to check that out. My last thoughts that evening before I turned in was wondering where that water was coming from. The lesson is, until you know, you dont know.
I did a lot of work and interviews in the weeks, months and years after the storms. The stories of survival during landfall and the weeks that followed still run through my mind when the NHC names an Invest.
A few years ago, I had finished up a recovery meeting that went long and got a little warm. A comment was made after the meeting it was a little messy. I responded, “Sure it was, it was an authentic discussion. No prepared statements, no meeting before the meeting.” We had been talking about race, culture, perception, economic development, equity and breaking the cycle of poverty. It had been a long three months, everyone was tired.
A couple of weeks later I went downtown to Art Alley located off DeSaird. My plan was to walk around and relax. I parked across from the Cotton restaurant. Within a few minutes I walked upon this mural “Life is Messy.” I stood there for a moment. I knew instantly it meant something to me. I took some photographs and sent to my colleagues. It had the same effect on them. Real democracy is messy. Humans are messy and nothing is perfect. We have to help one another get through the journey.
Effective communication can be oral, written, maps, charts and yes public art. Poetry, song, sculpture, murals, paintings are all communication forms that can be brought to bear on hard issues. This is something I knew, but somehow was reaffirmed that cold winter day.
I’m still out there photographing public art and architecture. It has become an outlet for me. It’s my way of resting. The “Life is Messy” mural has a very special place in my heart. It opened doors I did not know were there.
Thank you to all the artists and the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council for making us beautiful.
Note- The outline below reflects an ongoing conversation in the Ouachita Rivery Valley on flood risk reduction.
1. Introduction:
From the beginning it has always been in Ouachita's interest to support Catahoula Caldwell, Franking and Richland Parish in their mitigation efforts. In those parishes many of the flood solutions will never make a BCR. But they can qualify for an elevation or acquisition program. In the urbanized areas, these parishes and Ouachita, drainage projects are needed.
2. Proposal
A regional flood acquisition program is to service specific Parishes. The program would be managed by the Louisiana Watershed Initiative (LWI). Funding would include a mix of CDBG and HMGP, all managed by LWI.
3. Scope
It is easy to envision a multi-parish project to bring relief to these areas. Ouachita Parish has purchased a number of properties in Eastern Ouachita Parish. There are structures remaining in this area that need to be mitigated.
Project Areas - Catahoula, Caldwell, Franking, Richland Parish and Eastern Ouachita Parish.
4. Project Type
Multi-Parish Acquisition Project 5.0 Budget
Funding Type- HUD Amount - Startup Funding - $30 Million Program Administration - LWI
If we request funding, there is a good chance we will get it.
Louisiana is in the process of
changing how it manages its floodplains. The Louisiana Watershed Initiative (LWI)
has divided the state into 8 Regions. I support this initiative. What we were
doing in the past was not working. We as a state are still figuring out how to make
this work.
We need State Lawmakers involved in these watershed regions. I recommend you request a map from LWI illustrating
the historical damages in your respective watershed regions. You need to see all the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Flood Insurance (NFIP) claims and all the FEMA Individual Assistance (IA) to get a true picture. The NFIP flood
claims doesn’t tell the whole story. Many people can't afford flood insurance.
So those losses aren’t represented in the NFIP data. They can be made visible
with IA data. This will help you help these regions focus their flood mitigation
efforts.
Equity for all the people:
There is a term
we use called “repetitive flood loss structure”. These are structures that
participate in the FEMA flood insurance program that have multiple claims based
on some parameters. There are a number of ways to look at this data. One way
would be to evaluate how many dollars have been paid out over a specified period
or years. Another way is to look at how many times a family has been flooded
out of their home for the same period.
There is a difference.
If structure A has a household income of $95,000. and structure B has a household
income of $38,000., the impact to the family is not the same. How much
geography in Louisiana is considered Low and Moderate income. I worry about how
our federal policies perform in these Low and Moderate-income areas. A satisfactory BCA can
be hard to reach. DISASTERS DO NOT
IMPACT FAMILIES EQUALLY
We need risk
reduction across the State of Louisiana. The strategy must address coastal and
inland Louisiana. It cannot be one without the other.
South Louisiana
Lawmakers:
Inland
Louisiana, specifically Northeast Louisiana will be here for your people should
a storm approach the coast. We have always been here for you. As Coastal Louisiana
endures land loss from subsidence, sea level rise, erosion, rising flood
insurance cost, loss of insurance companies, higher power bills and the continued impact from tropical systems,
families will continue to move inland. Our efforts to reduce flood risk in
Northeast Louisiana will help our people and yours.
If there are
any lawmakers among you that dont we need help with our flood risk, please educate
them.
If you are new to the area, get
ready. You have not experienced Christmas until you have spent your holiday season on the land of the “Silver Water.”
Located in the Ouachita River
Valley in Northeast Louisiana, it was first explored by Hernando de Soto in
1542. The first organized government was formed in 1783. Ouachita Parish was established
in 1807. The Choctaw Tribe meaning of Ouachita is “Silver Water.”
Our Christmas Traditions are connected
to the Ouachita River “Silver Water.”
There is no official Christmas memo
on when the celebrations begin. It can be triggered by a number of things.
Sometimes it’s the first strong cold front. Or the radio starts playing
Christmas music 24/7. If someone puts up their Christmas tree early. If city
employees are spotted putting up Christmas decorations, that can do it.
If the celebrations haven’t begun
by the time the Christmas Parade and Fireworks schedule is announced, consider
this the Christmas Celebration memo. But when it starts, its ‘Whoville” until
January.
More than fifty years ago the Howard Griffin Family opened a boat
and toy store on the Monroe riverfront. People would travel from miles around
to buy toys and Christmas tree decorations. This community minded business forever
connected our Christmas Holidays traditions to the Ouachita River.
In early December we go into “snap
count.” Movies every weekend downtown. The Elf and the Grinch cannot be missed.
The Cameron Diaz movie “The Holiday,” doesn’t play downtown but should be on
your list.
The true meaning of Christmas is
never lost in the land of the Silver Water. It’s the most wonderful time of the
year.
The community never looked so
nice as it does in 2023. Ouachita Green, their partners and volunteers intended
to clean the place up and make it nice. They've removed thousands of pounds of
litter. But what they did is so much more than that.
I have my own working definition
of art. Creating something of value from nothing is art. So, by my definition
businesses producing a product from scratch is art.
Let me show you something.
The community has never been
cleaner, ever. We have been given back our geography as a clean canvass for businesses
to grow and job creation. By my definition this is art. Sculptures now dot our landscape with a splash of color
from the murals. Then there are all the cultural happenings and traditions. Our
recreational opportunities on the canvass are expanding. The private sector
continues to invest in our community. Local governments are making significant
headway on infrastructure improvements. Environmental damage from household
hazardous waste is continually being mitigated.
In this instance, the added value
may have exceeded the goal. What an awesome return on investment. Thank you to
Ouachita Green, Keep Ouachita Parish Beautiful, Keep Monroe Beautiful, Keep
West Monroe Beautiful, Keep Louisiana Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful.
The story of Noah’s Ark is my all-time
favorite Bible story. Noah was given specific instructions on how to build the
ark. Built from cypress and coated with pitch inside and out, the ark’s profile
would have looked enormous against the horizon. Noah and his family filled the
ark with two of each living creature, male and female. The rain came for forty
days and forty nights. The earth was flooded, and all was lost. The ark came to
rest safely upon the mountains of Ararat. The earth would now have a second chance.
I have always said, "Noah’s Ark was the world’s most
successful flood mitigation project." Noah knew a flood was coming. He listened
to the warnings of what was ahead, he was provided construction plans and took
action to mitigate the flood.
While Louisiana has plenty of cypress, the ark we need in
2022 is legislation. In 2011, Northeast Louisiana was protected from the
Mississippi River by levee’s that were legislated to be built following the
1927 flood. The State has grown since the early 20th Century. Our
hazards and risks have changed. We need new comprehensive legislation that
establishes a risk reduction strategy and guides investments to reduce inland
and coastal flooding.
I encourage our best and brightest to inform our lawmakers
on the need for risk reduction across the State of Louisiana.
We know a flood is coming. We need to take action.
Photograph from the National Weather Service - The great Mississippi River flood of 1927. Refugees in camp near the Louisiana Monument during the Great Flood of 1927 at the Vicksburg National Military Park.
The recovery from the Great Flood of 2016 gave rise to a period
of community rebirth. Officials worked on flood mitigation strategies, housing,
infrastructure, economic recovery, health, and natural and cultural resources. With
the rebuilding underway, public meetings were held and people’s concerns and
ideas were heard. In those early days of the recovery, you could sense the call
to action for change. That sense of urgency still exists.
The political landscaped also changed during this period. And
people were noticeably more interested in cultural happenings and civic events.
The private and public sector continued to invest in the community. Progress
was being made. In August 2020, real estate developer and State Representative
Michael Echols all but declared a Renaissance.
Public art, poetry readings, photography, live musical performances, freedom of speech exercises, and being different are now a permanent part of our
cloth. We can never go back.
Beginning in 2020, the region experienced a prolonged period
of adversity that threatened all the progress made. The community was impacted
but our resilience won. Despite the pandemic, hurricanes, tornadoes, flash
flooding, and a winter storm, public and private investments continue. All things cultural are
flourishing.
The community investments in infrastructure,
economic development and culture continue at a never-before-seen tempo. Our leaders
understand the linkage between business and culture, and they are leveraging.
People will visit our region to experience the art, food, wineries, cultural happenings and great outdoors. Remote workers and businesses will be attracted here for all the afore mentioned amenities.
The culture - business blend model is spreading in the Ouachita River Valley. Be looking for investment opportunities.
On June 7, 2022, a praise to God celebration was held at the Henrietta Johnson Recreation Center at 2800 Burg Jones Lane, Monroe, LA 71202. I was asked to pray over jobs and economic development. It was a wonderful evening. Below is my prayer.
Our Heavenly Father, at the beginning of this “Fast” I prayed
for you to heal this land from flooding and poverty.
Our leaders are working night and day to bring good jobs to
the Delta. Lord, I ask that you give each one of them the strength and wisdom
to help your children.
I pray that you give Kenya Robertson, Kristopher Kelly and
Roy Heatherly the strength to breakdown a thousand walls. Share with all
the leaders from the Delta the path forward to help your children.
Lord, you know it's hard down here sometimes. A good job
solves a lot of problems.
We are here, we will listen, and we will follow.
Amen.
The kids are with Representative Pat Moore, Monroe City School Board Representative Betty Cooper and Senator Katrina Jackson
__________________________
Kenya Robertson, Monroe Regional Black Chamber of Commerce
Kristopher Kelly, West Monroe West Ouachita Chamber of
Commerce
It’s in our national interest for communities
to be successful in their disaster recovery efforts. This was one of the main reasons FEMA established the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF). Your local long-term recovery framework needs to be strong enough to support passionate discussions and public discourse but not so rigid it suppresses new ideas and innovation. Rebuild your community in a way that reduces risks, promotes quality of life and supports economic development.
The quality of recovery on the Gulf Coast impacts inland communities. People returning to work, healing,
rebuilding, community planning, and generating tax revenue are all key
indicators of a community recovering.
A while back, I was in a watershed planning meeting going through
a presentation on flood claims from the Great Flood of 2016. Someone pointed at
the map and asked about the geography that was absent of flood claims. I was
waiting on that question. I then showed them the IA claims and stated the population
in this area could not afford flood insurance. They applied to FEMA for
help in a different program. What followed was a conversation about low and moderate
income (LMI) areas, the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and equity.
Disasters do not impact families equally. Poor
people come from all walks of life. There is linkage between breaking the cycle
of poverty and breaking the cycle of disaster-rebuild -disaster.
Using the early 2000s as a marker, the frequency and magnitude
of natural hazard events is raising questions if not alarms. In Louisiana, we
are living from disaster to disaster. This doesn’t seem normal. I have worked
in this industry for more than 25 years and I have questions.
I will start by asking if our investments in emergency management
are proportional to the increase in frequency and magnitude? Are we attempting
to inhabit geography that is uninhabitable? Are environmental conditions
changing? Is it temporary or permanent? Are we creating emergency response plans
to complex for implementation by humans? Are we appropriately explaining
risks to our people?
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act or as I refer to it “The Stafford Act” has served our nation
well over the years. Is it adequate to manage catastrophic events? Is it
appropriately designed to manage overlapping active disaster declarations for a
common geography?
We need risk reduction across the State of Louisiana. Our lawmakers
need to hear from the next generation. We need our best and brightest working
on this.
All emergency management practitioner, meteorologists,
academia and related fields of study, are encouraged to communicate with their
respective lawmakers. Write your lawmaker, participate in a conference call, or
attend a public meeting. If you have expertise or a storm story you would like to share, lawmakers need to hear from you.
Louisiana SB 414 by Senator Fred H. Mills, Jr. is dead. He and others worked hard on this legislation. In Northeast Louisiana Karen Cupit, Lisa Richardson and the Region 3 Watershed Committee worked hard on this initiative. No legislation is perfect. This legislation sought to add structure to statewide risk reduction efforts. The strategy provided for inland and coastal risk reduction. It assembled subject matter experts to manage, and it provided a mechanism for local and state leaders to inject their thoughts and concerns into the process.
As the Louisiana Gulf Coast changes, all of Louisiana must adapt. The time for talk is over. As a strategy, inland risk reduction does two things. 1) It protects families and business and 2) It prepares inland Louisiana to receive coastal populations and businesses as they migrate inland.
A statewide strategy that accounts for the loss of the coast and prepares inland Louisiana is needed. SB 414 put us on a path to develop a strategy. HB 606 would have matured and headed this direction out of necessity. Both are dead.
We will have to work harder to make sure the people of Louisiana have a voice as our geography and risk to all-hazards change.
Northeast Louisiana is committed to helping our coastal families. If a storm threatens the coast, we will be here.
HCR 124 - To urge and request the Legislative Budgetary Control Council to study the feasibility of creating a disaster and assistance relief fund administered by the legislature.
In the last few years there has been countless severe weather episodes that inflicted hardship on families but did not meet the federal disaster declaration threshold. Over the last 20 years Louisiana has seen the nation’s costliest storms. Until we reduce our risk to all-hazards across the State of Louisiana, we need the disaster and assistance relief fund to help our people.
In 2004, a tornado struck Olla, LA and moved Northeast into Caldwell Parish. In the damage path were hardworking people that never ask for anything. The threshold to trigger the FEMA Individual Assistance was not met. I vividly remember the Caldwell Police Jury President telling his congressman, “You got money to help people in other countries, you got money to help Caldwell Parish.” I never forgot that meeting. Dale Powell was the Homeland Security Director. He did an awesome job.
A few weeks later a tornado touch down in Southern Arkansas just across the Louisiana border. There was at least one fatality and injuries. Within days Governor Huckaby could be seen helping his people with monetary assistance. The State of Arkansas has a State Disaster Relief Fund. Due to the number of tornadoes and flash floods, Arkansas needed the fund to help its citizenry in cases where the threshold for federal assistance is not met.
In Louisiana we are so fortunate to have volunteer organizations like the United Way, Salvation Army and American Red Cross. They are always there to help us. These awesome organizations do not relieve the State of Louisiana of its responsibilities to help our people.
Until Louisiana reduces its risk to all-hazards across the State, we need to establish the disaster and assistance relief fund to help our people.
Thank you, Representative Larry Selders for caring about Louisiana.
Source: Louisiana Legislative website, FEMA, NOAA and local knowledge.
Following North Louisiana’s 2021 Valentine's Day Winter Storm, and Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Ida, I reviewed many news reports and social media commentary. I have always been interested in what people behavior before the storm and what they did to prepare. I read enough to wonder if we as a country need to review how we are communicating all-hazards risk to our population. Some of our people seemed surprised, even shocked their power and drinking water would be disrupted for two weeks following a category 4 hurricane. I made similar observations in the aftermath of the 2021 winter storm.
The public's role in preparedness and hazard mitigation is paramount. The more adversity families endure, the bigger the task by local and state government. By reducing the burden on families through mitigation and preparedness, the response and recovery efforts become more manageable. We need to mitigate high-risk areas and educate the population on their risks. There is uncertainty ahead. families need to prepare.
The local and state hazard mitigation plans (HMP) have come a long way since the passage of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. The HMP's do a good job characterizing our hazard history and provide insights into our future conditions.
The population's response to the 2020-2021 hurricanes and winter storm is an indicator we need to review what and how we are communicating to the people on a Blue-Sky day. It may be helpful for the Louisiana Public Service Commission, Louisiana Department of Insurance, the Louisiana Hazard Mitigation Team, Power Companies and others applicable officials to convene a meeting to discuss and update our communication plans.
The general population and business owners need to understand their environment before the storm.
Sources: NOAA, FEMA, media, social media and local knowledge
