METAIRIE – Yesterday afternoon, following a meeting with Parish Presidents in Marrero, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) toured the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway West Closure Complex (WCC), which reduces the risk of flooding in the wake of hurricanes and other weather events for numerous residents and businesses in Jefferson, Orleans, and Plaquemines Parishes.
“There was no flooding in Jefferson, Orleans, or Plaquemine Parish after Hurricane Ida, in part due to the West Closure Complex,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This shows we can build resiliency. It is my hope that we continue to build this resiliency with money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.”
Managed by the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority – West (SLFPA-W), the WCC is part of the larger storm protection system for the Greater New Orleans area that is known as the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System. WCC has a 225-foot navigable sector gate that can close during hurricanes to block storm surge on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and 11 pumps which draw water from the Algiers and Harvey Canals to keep neighborhoods dry. It reduces the risk of storm surge for homes and businesses in Algiers, Plaquemines Parish, and the West Bank of Jefferson Parish.
Cassidy has been active in securing money for flood control projects in Louisiana, most notably by passing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in 2021. The IIJA has awarded large sums of money for flood control, including over $23 million in 2022 to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway for improvements across the system. At that time, over $378 million was awarded to the Morganza-to-the-Gulf project and $125 million to the Southwest Coastal Louisiana Hurricane Protection system.
Moreover, $19 million was awarded by FEMA last August to Jefferson Parish to harden power infrastructure, protecting residents, essential businesses, and emergency service providers from hurricane-force winds. Additionally, over $34 million was awarded to New Orleans and over $26 million to Jefferson Parish to elevate flood-prone structures. The money comes in the form of Flood Mitigation Assistance and Building Resilient Infrastructures and Communities grants, which received a total of $4.5 billion as part of the IIJA.
Cassidy has also been an advocate for Plaquemines Parish specifically, including securing over $7.3 million in June for the Plaquemines Port Harbor and Terminal District, to finance preliminary design activities in Phase III of the Peters Road Bridge and Extension.
While at the West Closure Complex, Cassidy was led on the tour by SLFPA-V Board President Scott M. Burke and board members Kyle Galloway and Bill Fogle, along with SFLPA-W Executive Regional Director Nicholas P. Cali.
“We are deeply grateful to Senator Cassidy and the Parish Presidents for their visit to SFLPA-W headquarters and West Closure Complex today, for the opportunity to share with our leaders the invaluable work we do daily to protect more than 250,000 West Bank residents from hurricanes and river flooding,” said Mr. Burke.
Additionally, at his meeting with Parish Presidents, he led a discussion on his efforts to lower flood insurance rates, build infrastructure, and repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset that reduces state retirees’ Social Security benefits. He was joined by Parish Presidents from Ascension, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Plaquemines, St. Charles, St. James, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, and West Baton Rouge Parishes, among other officials. He was welcomed by Ms. Meg Bankston, Executive Director of the Parish Presidents of Louisiana.
“A successful partnership between Senator Cassidy and our Parish Presidents is built on mutual respect, open communication and a shared commitment to serving our state and our people,” said Ms. Bankston. “By working together, we can amplify each other’s efforts, ensuring that local needs are heard at the national level and that federal resources are effectively utilized to benefit the people of Louisiana. We’re eager to continue our collaboration in driving the state’s progress forward.”
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