St. Mary government receives another $2.3 million in Ida mitigation funding

A second round of Hurricane Ida hazard mitigation funding from the state will more than double the St. Mary Parish government’s share of the money for “ongoing recovery and mitigation projects,” according to the Governor’s Office.

In all, 25 parishes will share $253 million, the office said.

St. Mary was notified earlier this year that the parish government would receive $1.6 million through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

On Tuesday, the Governor’s said St. Mary’s share is now just short of $3.9 million after the second-round funding of about $2.3 million.

Last month, the St. Mary Parish Council talked about three projects to be funded with $1.6 million awarded by then, said Chief Administrative Office Henry C. “Bo” LaGrange:

--A storm-resistant safe room at the Yokely Pump Station.

--A safe room at the Franklin Canal Flood Gate Pump State.

--Wind-proofing at the old National Guard armory in Franklin, where the parish Office of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security now stores equipment and
supplies.

“We’ll probably review our hazard mitigation plan and see if there are any other projects that will qualify for funding,” LaGrange said. Drainage improvements are one possibility.

“Hurricane Ida devastated our people and our coast nearly one year ago,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said in the press release, “and while the recovery process is often long and complicated, we will use these funds to not only further the restoration efforts still underway but also on projects designed to minimize the impacts of future storms.”

Through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, the federal cost share increased from 75% to 90% with a 10% match from local governments.

Edwards has directed the Office of Community Development to provide funding to fully pay that local match requirement in its request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for disaster recovery assistance. In addition, the state has contracted for technical assistance to local governments to expedite project development, approval and completion.

Working with local partners, the goal is to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to life and property by lessening the impact of a disaster. Examples of mitigation work include residential elevation, reconstruction or acquisition of flood-prone structures and converting land to green space, localized drainage improvements, safe room con-struction, wind retrofit of structures and emergency power for critical facilities, the Governor’s Office said.