Governor: River flooding major event, but could have been worse

The anticipated river flooding in Louisiana turned out to not be the worst case scenario but is still a major flood event for which state leaders plan to get some federal reimbursement, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday in Morgan City.
Edwards visited Morgan City Wednesday on just his third day in office to tour the flood protection work going on in the area and to attend a briefing at the Port of Morgan City's Government Emergency Operations Center.
Former Gov. Bobby Jindal was helpful to Edwards in making sure the flood fight effort that began at the end of Jindal's term had a "seamless" transition into Edwards' term, Edwards said.
Levee district officials made the decision last week to install a temporary flood protection structure on Bayou Chene when the projected Atchafalaya River crest was 9.2 feet, if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the Morganza Spillway. Opening the Morganza Spillway protects communities along the Mississippi River from flooding but sends more water to the Atchafalaya Basin.
In the past 80 years, only floods in 1973 and 2011 surpassed that projected 9.2-foot crest.
However, the Corps decided not to open Morganza, and now the projected Atchafalaya River crest at Morgan City will be near 8 feet Jan. 23.
Installing the structure on Bayou Chene will protect St. Mary Parish in Amelia from backwater flooding along with Lower St. Martin, Terrebonne, Assumption, Lafourche and Iberville parishes.
The St. Mary Levee District plans to finish driving sheet pilings at Bayou Chene in Amelia by the end of the week, Levee District Executive Tim Matte said. The Louisiana National Guard is also finishing the process of building a levee made up of HESCO baskets, which are filled with sand and rocks, to cover 3 miles of low spots on Avoca Island. The flood protection work on Avoca Island prevents flood water from bypassing Bayou Chene and flooding the same areas the Bayou Chene structure is protecting. St. Mary Levee District officials have spent $5.5 million to $5.7 million, so far, in the past couple weeks to protect the region from flooding, Matte said.
Edwards said it's critical that area officials document costs incurred relating to the flood fight because the state hasn't yet met the $6.8 million threshold for the President to declare a federal disaster, which would allow for a 25 percent federal reimbursement to help fund emergency projects. Edwards is confident the state will meet that threshold, though, he said.
Edwards planned to meet with President Barack Obama Wednesday and Thursday in Baton Rouge and ask the President "to expedite that declaration.
Edwards wants state leaders to work toward "a permanent solution" to prevent backwater flooding through Bayou Chene, he said. Still, there is some ongoing litigation that may be "a complicating factor" to getting that project built, Edwards said.
The Bayou Chene Flood Control and Diversion Project, which involves installing a permanent structure with a floodgate that can be closed when necessary and levees along Avoca Island and Tabor Canal, is in the state's 2017 master plan. Levee district leaders hope to begin construction on the project in early 2017 when Restore Act funds from the 2010 BP oil spill become available.
The permanent structure would make blocking off potential flood waters much easier, Levee District President Bill Hidalgo said. The permanent project is estimated to cost $107.5 million.
In 2011, the levee district blocked off Bayou Chene and protected some homes from having up to 3 feet of water inside them, Hidalgo said. Installing the permanent structure will prevent at least 100,000 residents from flooding, Hidalgo said.
Edwards said the response of the Corps of Engineers and all state agencies, including the National Guard, State Police and Department of Transportation and Development, "has been really positive." Edwards also said he was impressed by the Port of Morgan City's Government Emergency Operations Center saying it's a better facility than th