Jefferson Parish drainage improvements could cost billions

METAIRIE, La. (WVUE) - Jefferson Parish estimates 750 structures flooded when Hurricane Francine dumped several inches of rain on parts of the parish nearly two weeks ago.

The storm inundated canals and overwhelmed the system's capacity to drain.

Metairie resident Jared Bratman said, "The scariest thing where the water really rose, really fast. You can see the water line where it ended up on my porch."

Jefferson Parish council member Jennifer Van Vrancken said the parish is built to handle a 10-year-event.

"As we saw, we get overwhelmed with today's intense rains," Van Vrancken said. "So, what we are looking at is how do we build to be prepared for a 100-year storm?"

Jefferson Parish public works director Mark Drewes said, "In this event, there was no help. If your pump station was overwhelmed, than the one next to you was as well. That's why this was a unique storm."

Earlier this year, the parish selected two engineering firms to update the drainage master plan. One firm will evaluate the east bank, the other the west bank. The firms ultimately will model where the parish floods now and recommend upgrades to pump stations and other infrastructure.

"If I do X, Y and Z here, will that make a significant impact?" Drewes said. "It's all about getting a good base modeling that will help us determine what projects we select will make the improvements that we believe they will."

Drewes said he believes if the parish widens canals, installs wider pipes or adds more pumps, the work could cost billions. Drewes said Jefferson Parish sales tax and millages generate about $30 million for drainage. The master plan comes as the current millage expires in 2026 and voters will decide on renewal.

"It can be done. It will be expensive, but I think we are approaching it in the right way," Van Vrancken said. "Let's get the plan together. Let's prioritize projects, because we cannot afford to do them all at once. Let's be strategic about it and we will get there."

Drewes said, "We do have options going forward to improve the overall system. We are already implementing some of those projects and we will continue with this new information in our master plan to continue to draw what we believe are the best projects moving forward."

Jefferson Parish leaders hope that once the updated master plan for both banks is complete, the parish can secure additional state funding and federal grants.