Structural Engineering Services Take Action by Preventing Damage from Disasters

Recent detection of rising sea levels and the unique topography of Louisiana have prompted experts to believe that the state is sinking. On the coastal regions along the Gulf of Mexico, most of the wetlands have been washed away.

Despite these recent developments, the state has been no stranger to confronting calamities. Civil engineers serving these cities are already presented with several challenges, especially in protecting the land and keeping it resilient against water damage.

Threats from Natural Disasters

When Katrina befell Louisiana in August 2005, over 80% of New Orleans became submerged in water, most of which affected residential areas. Even nearby cities have been affected by the storm, displacing more than 700,000 residents and leaving a total of $135 billion in damage. It took several weeks before the waters completely receded.

Eleven years after Katrina, residents of Louisiana face a new and even bigger challenge. In August 2016, heavy rainfall caused severe flooding in all parishes of the state, affecting more than 500,000 people. Roughly a fifth of these victims were from East Baton Rouge Parish. Authorities have labeled this event the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.

Actions Taken

After Katrina, Louisiana government officials had to act fast to provide relief for their constituents. At the same time, private firms offering structural engineering services have been called upon for consultation and for repairs of damaged levees. Other groups were tapped to solve drainage problems to prevent such scenarios from recurring.

In 2007, the Louisiana Coastal Protection Authority launched a series of projects aimed at restoring levees, upgrading pumps and protecting the coast from erosion, among other exigencies. These initiatives cost a total of about $50 billion and included engineering projects to keep residential and commercial areas flood proof, as well as, to preserve marshlands as natural habitats of local flora and fauna.

On a local level, the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board (S&WB) has continuously worked with its consultants in infrastructure projects to repair damaged streets, install more robust sewerage systems and build more drainage pumping stations, among other efforts.

In East Baton Rouge Parish, even local non-profit groups have stepped up to help their communities recover after the damaging floods. Some organizations have proposed structural engineering strategies to keep homes flood-free, such as elevating homes from the ground level. In general, experts believe that the way to prevent the casualties of flooding is not just to drain stormwater, but to direct it away from clean sources of water. This prevents contamination from waste, pesticides, fertilizers and other runoff which can compromise clean water supplies to the city.

Moving Forward

Currently, government aid continues to cascade towards the parishes that need it most. Funding has been allotted not only for the relocation of residents, but to help them rebuild their homes and businesses after the floods. FEMA and its public assistance campaign granted over $270 million to Louisiana parishes to help clean off debris and to start work on repairing infrastructures.

For these plans to come to fruition, civil engineers have been tapped to come up with improved designs for roads, sidewalks, sewerage systems and more. Aside from providing support, planning and project management, these groups also inspect structures on a regular basis, ensuring that they are built to the standards of the S&WB. To these professionals, work is never done, even when there are no natural disasters.

Truly, the state of Louisiana and its cities continue to persevere despite recent obstacles. Throughout these ordeals, structural engineers have played vital roles in returning commercial and residential areas to a state of vitality and readiness for the future.

Sources
No End in Sight to Roadwork as S&WB Prepares to Spend $337 Million in 2016, NOLA.com
How Many Houses, People Flooded in Louisiana?, NOLA.com
7 Clever Ways to Fight Flooding in an Increasingly Wet World, Wired.com