BATON ROUGE, La
-
Due to the rising waters
of the Mississippi
River, the Louisiana
National Guard was
assigned a mission by
Governor Bobby Jindal to
perform flood mitigation
operations in Pointe
Coupee Parish.
The Governor’s Office of
Homeland Security and
Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP),
Louisiana National Guard
(LANG),
Louisiana Department of
Agriculture and Forestry
(LDAF),
Louisiana Department of
Transportation and
Development (LDOTD),
and the
United States Army Corps
of Engineers (USACE),
along with the local
officials have been
discussing potential
flooding in Pointe
Coupee Parish and the
Corp’s monitoring
efforts of the levees
along the Mississippi
and Atchafalaya Rivers.
The Corp of Engineers
has activated its
Emergency Operations
Center and has begun
regular levee
inspections in
conjunction with local
Levee Authorities/Levee
Districts. GOHSEP
remains in contact with
the Corps and the
National Weather Service
to monitor the potential
flooding in Pointe
Coupee Parish and the
state.
“We will continue to
monitor the potential
threat to these crops
and stand ready to
assist Pointe Coupee
Parish.” said Mark
Cooper, Director,
Governor’s Office of
Homeland Security and
Emergency Preparedness,
“By mitigating the levee
we are taking a
proactive step to
prevent any flood water
from ruining these
crops.”
The Louisiana National
Guard will support the
local community of
Pointe Coupee by placing
a barrier of 4 ft.
square sandbags,
weighing approximately
2,000 pounds, across
approximately two (2)
miles of the levee
located east of LA
Highway 1 in Morganza,
Louisiana. This levee,
known to locals as the
“Potato Levee” protects
crops that are between
the Mississippi River
and the Morganza Flood
Control structure.
Currently this property
contains 1,500 acres of
wheat, and an additional
3,500 acres of farmland
that could possibly be
affected by flood
waters. Cotton and soy
bean crops are slated to
be planted in the
remaining area. The
total economic impact of
the crops is
approximately $650,000
to $1.2 million.
Governor Jindal
plans a trip to the area
on Wednesday to get a
first hand look at the
situation.
Agriculture and Forestry
Commissioner Mike
Strain, D.V.M., shares
the Governor’s concern
for the farmers and
landowners that will be
affected if flooding
occurs, and praises
efforts to prevent any
damage to the thousands
of acres of farmland
near Morganza.
“The next few days are
critical for producers
in the area. Millions of
dollars could be lost if
wheat that is currently
growing is destroyed and
farmers are unable to
plant cotton and other
crops due to submerged
fields,” Strain said. “I
commend the Governor for
his proactive efforts.
We must diligently work
together and do
everything within our
power to protect this
valuable farmland.”
There is currently no
threat to additional
property, persons or
roadways.
