Fall 2026 Newsletter

Executive Director's Report

I hope everyone’s Summer Season was a lovely one, and your Fall season coming up is a quiet and enjoyable one. Hurricane Season is not over yet, so make sure you are prepared and your families are safe and sound. November 30th will be the last day of the Hurricane Season. It’s been a quiet one for all of our Coastal Communities. We want to make sure everyone is safe this season.

Lately there has been a lot of activity on Grant Funding and Awards coming out of Washington DC. Federal Administration Delivers More Than $1.7B to Strengthen Preparedness and Resilience Across America: FEMA awarded more than $1.7 billion in federal funding to states, tribal nations, territories, local jurisdictions and operational partners across the country. FEMA will award this money through its preparedness grant programs. Through these programs, FEMA enables communities across the country to strengthen their security and resilience against emergencies like fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, cyber incidents and terrorist attacks. Federal Administration Announces More Than $781M in FEMA Funding to Support Disaster Recovery and Long-Term Resilience: FEMA announced more than $781 million in federal funding for 493 projects and programs in communities recovering from past disasters, reducing future risk and strengthening critical infrastructure nationwide.

Keep an eye on the www.lfma.org website for all upcoming workshops and the 2027 LFMA Conference in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Also, please don’t forget, as I mentioned at the conference, please make nominations for the Rod Emmer, Ted DeBaene, and the Outstanding Community Awards each year. You can review these on the website as well. We have to many opportunities being missed not showing our appreciation to individuals, companies, and communities who are making a difference.

We cannot forget all of our committees. Our committees keep information flowing through the organization and keep LFMA on track with our day to day administrative functions. Committies such as Conference, Awards, CAP-SSSE, Education, DRT, Membership, Newsletter and Workshop. If you have the time, please join one of our committees, we can always use your help.

God Bless you and your families,

Michael D. Hunnicutt, CFM
LFMA Executive Director

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A Message from our Vice Chairman

It is truly an honor to write my first message as Vice Chair of the Louisiana Floodplain Management Association. I have been involved with LFMA for many years, and stepping into this role has made me reflect on what makes this organization so valuable...the people. Across Louisiana, every community faces different challenges when it comes to flooding, development, mitigation, recovery, and resilience. Yet so many of us are working through similar issues. One of my biggest goals as Vice Chair is to help strengthen those connections so that no one feels like they have to figure everything out on their own.

Through my work with the City of Mandeville, I have had the opportunity to be involved in many different sides of floodplain management like maintaining and improving our CRS program and working with FEMA regulations to elevation projects, historic preservation, drainage, wetlands restoration, development standards, public outreach, and post-disaster coordination. Some projects have been straightforward, while others have required a lot of conversations, partnerships, research, and creative problem-solving.

Those experiences have taught me one very important lesson: someone else has probably faced the same challenge you are facing. That is where LFMA can make such a difference.

We have an incredible network of floodplain managers, building officials, planners, engineers, emergency management professionals, state and federal partners, consultants, and other professionals throughout Louisiana. Collectively, there is an enormous amount of knowledge within this organization. I want us to continue finding better ways to share it. If one community develops a successful procedure, let's share it. If someone finds a better way to explain a FEMA requirement to residents, let's talk about it. If a community improves its CRS program, completes a successful mitigation project, develops a great outreach campaign, or finds a creative solution to a difficult floodplain issue, those experiences can help communities far beyond their own boundaries.

Most importantly, I want our members to know that LFMA is a resource. Whether you work for a large parish, a small municipality, a state agency, or in the private sector, you are part of a network of people who understand the challenges of this profession and are willing to help.

As Vice Chair, I hope to be another connection within that network. I want to hear what is working in your community, what challenges you are facing, what training you need, and what LFMA can do to better support you. Louisiana has no shortage of flood challenges, but we also have no shortage of talented, dedicated people working to solve them. I am excited about what we can accomplish together, and I look forward to serving you and continuing to strengthen LFMA across our state!

Lauren Brinkman LeBlanc, CFM
Vice Chairman of LFMA

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Calendar of Events

LFMA Fall 2026 Workshop

October 16, 2026

8:30am - 12:30pm

St. Amant Library & Community Center

12341 LA Hwy 431

St. Amant, LA 70774

REGISTER HERE

View the Workshop Agenda

3.5 CFM CEUs anticipated for this in-person workshop

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What's Happening Around the State

Building on the record-breaking success of Love the Boot Week, Keep Louisiana Beautiful is carried that momentum into September with Love Our Waterways, a statewide effort to remove litter and debris from Louisiana’s rivers, lakes, bayous, beaches and shorelines. Research shows that approximately 80% of marine debris begins as land-based litter that is carried into storm drains, bayous, rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. Through cleanup efforts and public education, Love Our Waterways aims to prevent litter from reaching our waterways while inspiring environmental stewardship across Louisiana.

The Office of the Lieutenant Governor hoped to address litter and marine debris impacting Louisiana's rivers, lakes, bayous, shorelines, and coastal areas. As Louisiana's largest coordinated waterway and shoreline litter removal initiative, Love Our Waterways mobilized volunteers, businesses, nonprofits, schools, local governments, and community organizations to help protect and restore the waterways that are vital to our state's economy, culture, recreation, wildlife, and way of life.

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Region 1

Mandeville Lakefront Wetlands Project Restores Shoreline

A year ago, St. Tammany Parish broke ground on the Mandeville Lakefront Wetlands Project. 

Supported by a $1 million contribution through CPRA's Parish Matching Program, the project was completed in January. Today, the results are taking shape along the Lake Pontchartrain lakefront.

The project combines several restoration features to strengthen this important stretch of shoreline. A new rock berm helps protect vital cypress marsh habitat from wave erosion and saltwater intrusion, while dredging created a new marsh platform, transforming open water into valuable wetland habitat.

A diversion canal also helps move stormwater from surrounding urban areas, reducing flood risks while filtering runoff before it reaches the lake.

Partnerships like this are an important part of Louisiana's efforts to address land loss, strengthen coastal communities and protect our natural resources.

One year in, the Mandeville Lakefront Wetlands Project is showing how targeted restoration can make a difference for the people, wetlands and wildlife of St. Tammany Parish.

Keep Jefferson Parish Beautiful, along with staff from the Jefferson Parish Department of Ecosystems & Coastal Management and Department of Environmental Affairs, dusted off their life jackets for a Love Our Waterways Cleanup on Bayou Segnette! The team removed about 60 pounds of litter and debris from the bayou, including a tire, a shop vac, and the usual bottles, cans, and Styrofoam containers. Several Love Our Waterways cleanup events  happened throughout Jefferson Parish. 25 Love Our Waterways cleanup events were held  throughout Jefferson Parish for the month of September!

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Region 3

Terrebonne Parish President Jason Bergeron and Lafourche Parish President Mitch Orgeron had the opportunity to sit down with Senator Kennedy to discuss issues that are important to their region, including FEMA Risk Rating 2.0, dredging, and future funding opportunities. "Terrebonne and Lafourche share many of the same challenges and priorities, and working together gives us a stronger voice when advocating for the needs of our communities," stated President Jason Bergeron. 

In honor of September being Love our Waterways month, Terrebonne Parish shared recent progress in our bayous. From dredging Bayou Terrebonne to derelict vessel removal and bayou cleanup projects, our teams have been focused on giving our waterways some much-needed TLC.

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Region 8

REGION 8 REPORT: FLOODPLAIN & DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE

Floodplain management and drainage infrastructure across Northeast Louisiana are dynamically shifting toward proactive regional modeling and systemic mitigation. Operations are primarily synchronized through Region 3 of the Louisiana Watershed Initiative (LWI), led by the Ouachita Parish Police Jury. Major physical civil structures, channels, and levee assets are continuously managed by the Tensas Basin Levee District, protecting municipal centers and high-value agricultural zones across eight core parishes. 

The following projects represent active civil engineering efforts that have reached substantial milestones, commenced construction, or initiated public funding reviews within the last six months (April 2026 – October 2026):

Established Multi-Year Funding & Long-Term Grants

Large-scale civil works and property acquisitions naturally cross multi-year boundaries. The following multi-million dollar frameworks are actively executing fieldwork and acquisitions throughout 2026:

West Monroe Storm Water Mitigation Plan ($4.0 Million)

A comprehensive drainage repair initiative focused on mitigating severe street and residential flooding. High-priority engineering targets localized ditches, regional canals, failing culverts, and aging underground infrastructure along Copley, Jackson, and Claiborne streets, alongside the corridors surrounding West Monroe High School.

Black Bayou Basin Floodplain Residential Buyouts ($5.2 Million)

Administered under state-allocated disaster mitigation frameworks, this program funds voluntary residential buyouts within the high-risk Black Bayou Canal system. The strategic objective is to systematically remove permanent structures from active floodplains and return the acreage to natural wetlands capable of buffering extreme surge events.

Federal Appropriations Capital Influx ($2.2 Million)

Secured via federal appropriations frameworks in February 2026, this capital is directly earmarked for Monroe's City-Wide Storm Drainage & Sanitary Sewer Project, complementing ongoing municipal drainage bond funds.

Mid-City Drainage Project ($2.4 Million)

Supported by federal pre-disaster mitigation grants, this initiative expands underlying stormwater pipe networks, catch basins, and parallel ditches to optimize rapid runoff handling between Trenton Street and Cypress Street.

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Continuing Education

Upcoming Webinars

Participate in one of the webinars for CEU credits towards your CFM. 

Foundation Flood Vents and FEMA's TB 1
Wednesday, October 14th
2pm -3pm CST

Floodplain Design Course
Wednesday, November 11th
2pm - 3pm CST

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Disaster Resources Team

Thank you so much to all the LFMA Volunteers with the DRT who helped in Avoyelles Parish following TS Arthur. This includes our friends at RAPC and DOTD, who were critical in the recovery and data collection process. Together the DRT volunteers collected over 675 data points with photos of damage, high water marks, and preliminary SDE data for the Parish's use. The recovery process is still a challenge, but thank you for helping your neighbors in Avoyelles.

We need to maintain our roster of volunteers, as of now we have 30, but we need many more across the state. Please sign up here if you are interested in volunteering or interested in getting DRT help if your jurisdiction gets hit: https://arcg.is/0fPbH80

Even if you can't make it in person, the DRT can use your help with remote data analysis or contributions in the form of a pre-paid gas card, to enable the DRT field teams to conduct windshield inspections. You can purchase a gas card at the links below, and direct the card to the following:

LFMA DRT - Gas Card Donation

You can use this GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/82a9b63bd and we will use that to pre-load gas cards for volunteers. 

You can also purchase a physical card and mail them to:
Attn: Evelyn Campo - Desire Line
1205 St. Charles Avenue, Suite D
New Orleans, La 70130

 Links to purchase physical gift cards: https://shop.giftcards.exxonmobil.com/store/recipient?locale=en-us
https://buyshellgiftcards.com/order/plastic-gift-card

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Membership

Membership renewals will go out this month. Please be sure to renew your membership so you don't miss out! Included with your membership are 2 free workshops, a discounted rate for the annual conference and more. 

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Workshop

LFMA Summer Workshop Re-Cap
“Strengthening Disaster Response & Community Resilience”

This year’s Summer Workshop brought together members for an engaging and informative in-person training focused on strengthening disaster response and building community resilience. The training provided an in-depth look at Substantial Damage Estimation procedures, including the SDE triage and assessment process. The discussion highlighted the importance of having a clear process in place before an event occurs so communities can respond efficiently when disaster strikes.
The training discussed the role of the LFMA Disaster Response Team (DRT) and the importance of coordinated efforts in supporting disaster response and recovery operations. Shandy Heil and Evelyn Campo gave reports on the DRT volunteers and the field work for the SDE operation in Avoyelles.
Beyond response and assessment, the workshop emphasized that community resilience begins long before a disaster occurs. By understanding hazards, identifying vulnerabilities, planning ahead, and investing in mitigation, communities can reduce future risks and strengthen their ability to recover. While disasters cannot always be prevented, proactive planning and effective mitigation strategies can lessen their impacts and help communities recover stronger. One of the most valuable aspects of the Summer Workshop was the opportunity for members to engage in meaningful discussions, share experiences, and learn from one another. The exchange of ideas and real-world perspectives reinforced that strengthening disaster response and community resilience is a shared responsibility. As we move forward, the knowledge gained from this year’s Summer Workshop will continue to support efforts to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate future disasters. Until we meet at the Fall Workshop.

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What in the FEMA is Happening?

GOHSEP is excited to announce on July 14, 2026, FEMA published the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Flood Mitigation Assistance Swift Current Notice of Funding Opportunity.  This opportunity makes $40 million in grant funding available to Louisiana, and local governments.  The FY26 NOFO is available on Grants.gov at the following link:  Opportunity Listing - Fiscal Year 2026 Flood Mitigation Assistance Swift Current

Key Program Dates:

The application period opens on September 14, 2026.

All sub-applications must be submitted to GOHSEP in FEMA Grants Outcome (FEMA GO) by January 8, 2027.

FY26 FMA Swift Current available funding - $40,000,000 for the state of Louisiana

This cycle of funding will use the FEMA GO system for applications. Applications will also be entered in GOHSEP Grants – more details to come.

Applicants experiencing technical issues with FEMA GO, outside of their control must notify FEMA and GOHSEP as soon as possible, and no later than 3:00 PM CST on Monday January 4, 2027. No new system-related issues will be addressed after this deadline.

The following parishes will receive priority. Avoyelles, East Feliciana, Lafourche, Pointe Coupee, St. Charles, St. Landry, St. Tammany, Terrebonne and Winn. Should these parishes not utilize all the available funding, applications from other jurisdictions will be considered until all funding is applied for.

All sub-applications must be submitted in the FEMA GO Portal to GOHSEP by January 8, 2027 - by 3 p.m. CST.

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In the News

NFIP has been reauthorized until December 11, 2026 through Sec. 139 of the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (H.R.6500).  After passing the Senate in August, this continuing resolution (CR) was passed by the House on Tuesday and signed by the President on Wednesday.  This becomes the 36^th short-term reauthorization of NFIP since 2017.

The Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) reviewed "Four Ways to Bring Nature-Based Solutions into NFIP Pricing" in a blog post, analyzing the EDF report on "Recommendations to Better Integrate Nature-Based Solutions into the Models and Pricing Used by the National Flood Insurance Program."  The four primary recommendations are to 1) improve how existing natural assets and nature-based solutions are recognized in catastrophe models; 2) create a post-model adjustment to acknowledge the flood-risk reduction benefits of nature-based projects; 3) strengthen the NFIP’s Community Rating System by expanding the eligibility of nature-based solutions; and 4) modernize FEMA flood maps and floodplain management standards to better guide mitigation and land use decision-making.

The Senate has officially confirmed Cameron Hamilton as the permanent FEMA Administrator by a 51-47 vote.  Administrator Hamilton, sworn in on August 10, becomes FEMA's first permanent leader since Deanne Criswell resigned in January 2025.   Administrator Hamilton stated that, “The American people deserve a FEMA that is not bogged down with bureaucracy, but one that is focused on preparing and supporting state, local, tribal and territorial governments to get the help that is needed to their communities.”

FEMA has released a fourth edition of its "Retrofitting Flood-Prone Residential Structures" publication.  The publication explains that "buildings that meet or exceed the National Flood Insurance Program minimum floodplain management requirements incur, on average, 65% less flood damage than buildings that predate adoption of local floodplain management requirements."  The engineering principles and practices covered span elevation of the structure in place, relocation of the structure, construction of barriers (floodwalls and berms), dry floodproofing (sealants, closures, sump pumps, and backflow valves), and wet floodproofing (flood damage-resistant materials and protection of utilities and contents).

The Louisiana Region 6 Watershed Initiative (LWI) approved the 2026 LA Region 6 Watershed Plan last month. 

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