WEST MONROE, La. (AP) - The 10-mile stretch of levee protecting West Monroe has been accredited by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“It’s great news for West Monroe and for the district,” said Tensas Basin Levee District executive director John Stringer, who adds he received notification of the certification on Monday.
“It’s a good first step. Very few of the nation’s levees are accredited; I believe it’s less than 10 percent,” he said.
The News-Star reports (https://tnsne.ws/RrU02N) levee certification is critical as FEMA draws future flood plain maps. Eventually, levees that aren’t certified won’t show up on the maps and that means property owners will face significantly higher insurance rates.
“This is going to save a lot of people a lot of money over time, and I am appreciative of the work our levee board does,” West Monroe Mayor Dave Norris said. “Even more importantly, it’s a great comfort to know that these levees are sound and protect the people and property of West Monroe.
Having the Ouachita River’s west bank levees earn accreditation is a “significant first step for the entire Tensas Basin Levee District,” Stringer said.
The levee protecting West Monroe was certified first because it had no issues like bank cavings, Stringer said.
He and his staff are working to repair the worst bank cavings in the east bank of the system.
“Our other levees are pending. It’s a long process, but we’re working toward getting the federal help we need to repair the bank cavings along the east bank along with some other issues like the Calypso Street pumping station, which needs some work,” he said.
Stringer said the Tensas system still has about 200 levees pending accreditation.
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Information from: The News-Star, https://www.thenewsstar.com
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