2022 Hurricane Season - Make your family plans on a Blue-Sky day.

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.

Bless everyone on the Louisiana Gulf Coast.


Hurricane Katrina graphic provided by NOAA.

Tom M.

LIFE IS MESSY

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.

Tom M.

DISCUSSION - PROPOSED OUACHITA RIVER VALLEY MITIGATION PROJECT

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.

Project area.




Tom M.

Louisiana Historical Flood Losses: Calling all State Lawmakers

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.

Watershed Regions - See Regional Maps

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.

Source: FEMA, NOAA, NHC and local knowledge

Provided by NOAA

Tom M.

Christmas on the "Silver Water"

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.

Downtown West Monroe and Monroe are decked out in Christmas décor, accented with holiday paintings from our local artists. People are scurrying around, shopping, dining, attending Christmas parties and Christmas plays at church and school. Candy cane Lane is always a favorite. There is so much to do.

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.

Monroe City Hall 2021

Tom M.

Ouachita Green Added Value

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.

Tom M.