Battle Continues Over Flood Damage Estimates in Bossier Parish

Bossier Parish officials continue to haggle with the Federal Emergency Management Agency over how much it will cost to repair roads and bridges damaged during flooding earlier this year.

"We hired a consulting firm that has experience dealing with FEMA to drive the same roads. Our consultants say it will take $1.6-million for repairs. FEMA says they will give $200,000," said Parish Engineer Butch Ford in Bossier Parish Police Jury news release. "It's a battle to agree on an amount."

Ford added that repairs to the roads and bridges need to be made before winter. He said the problem in dealing with FEMA is that agency officials want to see the damage right now. However, he says the damage is something that occurs with traffic and time.

"We're just not getting anything," Ford said. "FEMA has seen the damage to our roads. We've been letting this work through their process, but we get the same answer every time."

Ford sais there are appeals still pending from when the police jury received FEMA funding after the 2015 floods.

"Last year, we appealed. We had $1.6-million in damages, and they gave us $180,000. GOHSEP agreed and appealed for us. That may be our only outlet."

During last week's meeting, police jury members approved a $57,766 bid for drainage projects designed to help move high water away from parish neighborhoods. Projects were awarded for Chimney Lane and Princeton Road.

According to the news release, jury members also approved a bid of $415,785 for an acceleration lane heading south at the intersection of U.S. Hwy 71 and Arthur Ray Teague Parkway, near Parkway High School. The bid is contingent on approval by the state bond commission.

Because of all the complaints Ford has received from residents in north Bossier, a section of Swan Lake Road from I-220 to Modica Lott Road will get a two-inch coat of asphault.

"The road there is in tough shape. We won't be starting more construction projects until next summer, but I don't know if this roadway will make it through the winter," Ford said. "The road is in pretty good shape from this portion on to the north."