Plaquemines Parish, LA

November, 2009

A New Beginning

Hurricane Katrina destroyed the detention center in Plaquemines Parish. FEMA has obligated more than $56 million to help the sheriff���s department build a new prison.

Throughout the parish from the southern end of the West bank it leveled the parish from the storm surge. 

When you got to the Point-a-la-hache area, it was water over the rooftops. Where our prison was at, when I flew over two days later, all you could see was the top of the eave of the roof. Everything else was inundated by water.

It had to be taken down to the ground. What was left was girders, steel girders, part of the roof. Most of the walls the water had washed the walls out from the surge itself, and it was just a lot of force from that water coming through.

What they���re actually going to do is, the first phase of construction will not be the building itself. They���re going to put in concrete pilings and raise those pilings up 18 feet. Then they���ll build a concrete platform and when that���s completed, they���ll actually build a prison on top of that platform. So, it���ll be two different stages.

This past year, things have moved very quickly. When the new director, Mr. Russell came into town, within a month we had a meeting with him. 

It���s all about partnerships. I sat across the table from the sheriff, from Mr. Debosier and Riley and Mr. Rainwater, and we committed to making this thing happen and said okay staff, go to it.

He promised us within 60 days, 60 to 90 days, we���d be seeing a contract brought forward. He delivered on that and had a check in our hands.

It���s a terrific moment. It shows that we are moving forward, we are making progress. We are going to start our actual rebuilding of our law enforcement efforts here in the parish.

For more information, visit www.FEMA.gov.