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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana have signed a partnership agreement for the $6.5 billion Southwest Coastal Louisiana hurricane and storm damage risk reduction and coastal ecosystem restoration project.
The project will be cost shared at 65% federal and 35% by CPRA.
An additional $10 million Community Project Funding will be applied toward project’s first restoration features, including six miles of shoreline protection at Rockefeller Refuge.
“Today’s announcement is transformative for the people of Southwest Louisiana who have held strong in the face of some of the worst storms the country has ever seen,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards.
“The formalization of this partnership is a testament to the continued, shared commitment of the State and the Corps to work together to implement projects to help reduce flood risk and storm damage to the people and businesses living and working in the region.”
Twenty-seven structures have cleared all assessments and are ready to be raised with 17 in Vermillion Parish and 10 in Calcasieu Parish.
USACE will host public meetings in late summer 2023, where homeowners can get more information on the project and begin registering for the elevation program.
Structure elevations are expected to begin in June 2024.
The purpose of the Southwest Coastal Project is to implement localized storm surge risk reduction features to reduce hurricane storm surge damage risks to structures in Cameron, Calcasieu, and Vermilion Parishes.