New elevation technology to aid Lafourche

New technology that will allow levee districts and other government entities to instantly determine elevation heights in low-lying areas was unveiled Saturday at the offices of the South Lafourche Levee District in Galliano.

Developed by the Louisiana State University Center for Geoinformatics, the golf ball-sized device provides virtually instant determinations of land heights. In fact, LSU officials were able to get thousands of elevation height readings on the entire 42-mile South Lafourche ring levee system in one day.

Prior to this technology being perfected, the reading of heights along the entire levee system would have taken several weeks or months to compile.

Dr. Roy Dokka, of the LSU center, noted that the device can be placed “on top of a moving vehicle” and the sensor will automatically calculate and record land heights every few inches and plot their location using precise longitude and latitude readings.

Dokka noted that he received accurate elevation readings along La. Highway 3235 in South Lafourche driving as fast as 40 miles per hour. To the chuckle of the crowd, Dokka noted that he had to drive a bit slower on the levee however.

“Upon close study of the readings produced, the instrument and technology have proven to be very accurate,” he said. “Any area in south Louisiana can be measured accurately for elevation using this device.”

Dokka noted that many elevation maps currently being used for insurance rating purposes are likely outdated and this technology can now provide updated information almost instantly. “This is the type of thing that could possibly lower insurance rates in the future,” he said.

Also on hand for the unveiling were U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, State Sen. Reggie Dupre, Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph and Laforuche Parish Councilman Daniel Lorraine.

Landrieu noted that this technology has been used in Florida and has helped lower insurance rates in that state. “Accurate data, which this device provides, has led to lower rates in Florida because it provides accurate and timely data for specific areas vulnerable to storms like Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes,” Landrieu said.

South Lafourche Levee District general manager Windell Curole noted that in the past it would take over $100,000 and three to six months to get a complete elevation profile of the levee system.

“Now it can be done in one day,” he said.

Curole acknowledged that the instant readings will also come in handy as a storm approaches. “We can now look and see almost instantly and with current data where the lower and weak spots are in the levee system and address those areas as a storm approaches. If we need a few feet of dirt in a specific place until it can be properly raised, we will now know where that spot is.

“It’s going to allow the levee district to put its resources in the most important places during an approaching storm as well as during other times,” he said.