Federal And State Agencies Aim To Rebuild Public Facilities Smarter 

Release Date: October 1, 2009
Release Number: 1603-880

» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Katrina
» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Rita

CAMERON, La. -- Future storm damages are less likely to occur when the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) join forces and provide extra funding to mitigate public facilities so that they are better prepared to face and withstand impending hurricanes.

Like Katrina, Hurricane Rita devastated many Louisiana communities, causing massive wind and flood damages to public facilities throughout the state. One of FEMA's goals is to not only help restore public facilities, but also to provide the necessary funding so that they are able to return stronger than before.

"In most cases, public assistance grants are used to repair or rebuild damaged facilities back to their pre-disaster conditions," said FEMA's Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office Acting Director Tony Russell. "However, a major FEMA objective is to mitigate, where it is cost effective, when restoring damaged infrastructure so that facilities are better able to prevent future damages. FEMA mitigation funding supports this proactive initiative to build back smarter than before."

For example, in the town of Cameron, Hurricane Rita's category three storm surge damaged the Cameron Parish Water and Waste Water District 1 Building. The facility housed an office, shop building and water works supplies.

FEMA's Public Assistance Program provided a total of $178,114 to repair the facility, and nearly 33 percent of that funding, $58,208 to be exact, was designated for mitigation purposes.

"After Hurricane Rita, our office building was badly damaged, but salvageable," said Hans Petersen, Superintendent of Cameron Parish Water and Wastewater District #1. "Rather than demolish the building and start from the ground up, the Board of Directors elected to elevate the facility to mitigate against future disaster. This decision resulted in a savings to taxpayers of over $750,000. In addition, our present office was back in operation within five days following Hurricane Ike."

The engineer for the Board of Directors engaged for this project indicated that the cost of rebuilding a similar elevated structure from the ground up, including demolition of the old structure, would be more than a million dollars.

Repairs to the building took two years to complete, and mitigation measures included moving the office area to the second floor of the structure, as well as elevating the electrical equipment, including a back-up generator, to a height of approximately 7 feet. Pre-Rita, both the office and electrical equipment were located on the ground level of the facility and were vulnerable to floodwaters.

These mitigation efforts proved beneficial when Hurricane Ike hit on Sept. 13, 2008. The elevation measures taken when rebuilding after Rita allowed the facility to reopen and operate off of its generator following Ike. As a result, the health and well-being of the citizens of Cameron Parish were better protected, since the mitigation measures lessened the potential disruption of essential water services to the community.

"While it was unfortunate that Hurricane Ike struck Southwest Louisiana just three short years after Rita, the lessons we learned and the work done by entities such as Cameron Parish Waterworks to rebuild safer, smarter and stronger made us better prepared, and we applaud their efforts," said Paul Rainwater, executive director of the LRA.

When FEMA approves projects through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are transferred to a federal Smartlink account. Once the funds have reached this account, the applicant can request reimbursement from the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) for eligible work completed. Obligated funds may change over time as the project worksheet is a living grant that is often adjusted as bids come in and scope of work is aligned.

The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations' buildings, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.

In general, FEMA's Section 406 Mitigation funding can only be applied to the damaged elements of a facility. These measures are considered by FEMA to be part of the total eligible cost of a repair project, and the applicant may not apply mitigation funding to alternate projects or improved projects if a new replacement facility is involved.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Last Modified: Wednesday, 07-Oct-2009 09:40:57