First of 2 free flood risk discussion dinners tonight

The first of two free dinners in the Bayou Region aimed at discussing flood risk will be held tonight (Feb. 24) at the Larose Civic Center at 307 East 5th Street in Larose.

The second will take place next Wednesday (March 5) at the Terrebonne Parish Public Library at 151 Library Dr. in Houma.

Both will begin with an open house from 5 to 6 p.m. and dinner from 6 to 7 p.m.

The meetings, held by the Restore or Retreat tonight and held by the Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organizing next week, are geared to inform the public on flood risk and resources for reducing it. An interactive flood risk viewer will be tested which offers the state’s most detailed information about how flood risk will change over the next 50 years. Information will also be available on individual’s public members’ flood insurance maps, the building in coastal areas and available pre- and post-disaster funding.

“One of the things they heard after the plan is where to get information and this is a great tool to get that information but it’s only just numbers and information,” said Restore or Retreat Executive Director Simone Maloz. “It’s basically just to gauge people’s understanding of what their risk is and to also show them how they could find resources to help them.”

Those in attendance will be given a link to an interactive website which shows them various interfaces that can specifically center around their home.

“Basically what they do is they use a Google Earth type interface and then they apply at least 10 different layers of information on it,” Maloz said. “One of them is your flood risk without the master plan, your flood risk if we were to implement the master plan. It shows you all of the master plan projects planned for your area, and you can click on one of those projects and find out the status.”

Anyone interested in attending the dinner is asked to RSVP by emailing ror.rsvp@gmail.com or calling (985) 448-4963 for the Larose event or by emailing ssgauthe@gmail.com or by calling (985) 492-8268 for the Houma event.