T’bonne state’s largest HMG recipient

Terrebonne Parish is the largest recipient in the state of the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds following hurricanes Gustav and Ike that were announced in June by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s office.

Terrebonne is receiving $16.4 million from the hazard mitigation allocation. Lafourche Parish is receiving the sixth most in the state with $6.4 million and St. Mary Parish’s $4.7 million is eighth.

The program, part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, pays for property owners and residents to elevate and strengthen homes and structures to help prevent damage from future storms.

The total grant amount to Louisiana from FEMA for hazard mitigation following Gustav and Ike was $177.6 million, with $125.6 million to be split among 53 of the state’s 64 parishes.

The money not sent to the parishes will fund statewide hazard mitigation projects, according to FEMA.

The state Recovery Authority approved the use of the funds.

“By pushing these dollars down to local governments, community leaders will be able to incorporate safer rebuilding practices into their overall recovery plans and make informed decisions about how best to protect their facilities from future damage,” said Louisiana Recovery Authority Executive Director Paul Rainwater.

The governor’s office also announced last week that the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is directing $7.7 million from the recent state budget surplus to the Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane protection levee system being built in Terrebonne.

The CPRA approved the expenditure of $290 million in state budget surplus funds on coastal protection projects in Louisiana. Besides the money for Morganza, CPRA directed $4 million from the surplus to pay for flood protection in the Morgan City area.

Funds from the surplus will go to the Larose to Golden Meadow levee system in Lafourche Parish as well.

The CPRA also received $78 million in federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Community Development Block Grant funds for statewide coastal restoration projects.