St Charles Parish - Disaster Impact and Needs Assessment

Economic and Workforce Development

• Most of the 19 major employers in St. Charles Parish experienced power outages but minimal damage.  The Port of South Louisiana reported approximately $6,165,500 in damage to the Kinder Morgan Dock, General Cargo Dock, Kinder Morgan building and other warehouse/building structures.
• There has been a 318.8% increase in unemployment claims in the parish (JHSC 1/27/06).
• There have been 2200 applications from St Charles Parish to the Small Business Administration for damage and/or economic loss (SBA HQ Ft Worth, TX 2/9/06).
• While St. Charles Parish ports and plants experienced minimal damage in this disaster, they are extremely vulnerable to future disasters (US Army Corps of Engineers).  If affected, it will impact the nation since roughly 60% of the nations jet fuel and 30% of the nations’ grain flow through this community. 
• The Bollinger Port facility was destroyed on the MRGO and plans are underway to relocate this facility. A potential site has been identified on the west bank in St. Charles Parish that will not only replace, but will afford an opportunity to expand this facility.

Flood Protection and Coastal Restoration

• Approximately 500 homes and 125 businesses received flood damage when a Lake Pontchartrain levee was breached by surge waters. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
• The Lake Pontchartrain Levee System in St. Charles Parish came within eighteen inches of being overtopped by surge waters. One more lift of earth will bring this system to design standards.
• The west bank of St. Charles Parish is without hurricane protection. This area is vulnerable to catastrophic damages from tidal, hurricane surges, and heavy rainfall events.
• Approximately 1,200 lineal feet of breakwater is needed to protect the LaBranche wetland extending from the existing breakwater to Bayou LaBranche south of Lake Pontchartrain.  Storm surge came through and damaged roads, wetlands and property.
• Two sections of the 12,000 lineal feet of rock breakwater need to be completed to protect the LaBranche wetland site south of Lake Pontchartrain.  This will prevent storm surge damage.
• 1.1 miles of lakeshore armoring is needed along Lake Salvador to provide protection to the west bank of the parish from storm surge.

Education 

• There has been an increase of 700 new students to the St. Charles Parish Public School System post-Katrina. (St Charles School District officials). The Federal Government is only providing funding for one year to the local school system to supplement the costs of accommodating displaced students.
• The St. Charles Parish Public School System hired 15 new teachers to accommodate the increase in student enrollment, which occurred mostly on the east bank side of the parish.
• The school system has been burdened by increased costs in utilities and transportation [as a result of the hurricane?].

Public Health and Healthcare

• The disaster and the recovery have greatly pronounced the mental health issues in the region. The parish needs a mental health program to address increase in substance abuse, domestic abuse, threats of suicide and other mental health concerns. (confirmed by the Mental Health Collaborative, 1/31/06, Human Services Focus Group)The parish collaborative of mental health providers, including the St Charles Parish Community Health Center, does not have an adequate number of mental health clinic (in patient facility) beds to meet the demand (confirmed by the Mental Health Collaborative, 1/31/06, Human Services Focus Group)
• Non-profit human service organizations cannot keep pace with the salary needs to maintain administrative and service-related positions as well as professional staff at adequate capacity. The staffing shortfall, not experienced prior to the disaster, is directly related to competition with higher paying disaster-related jobs and the increased costs of living especially housing. (Human Services Focus Group, 1/31/06) 
• An on-site facility is needed to accommodate the increase in dental health care needs addressed by the parish’s low-income dental voucher system. (James Comeaux, SCCHC, 2/06) 
• At present, the St Charles Community Health Center has increased service by 30%.  (James Comeaux, SCCHC, 2/06)  One-third of the parish population is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, which is the target population for the St Charles Community Health Center.

Public Safety

• Emergency communication systems were lost during and immediately following the storm event. (Parish 9-1-1 Communication Board)  Storm winds damaged the above-ground communication towers and no other means of “short-wave” radio communications was available to emergency responders.
• The parish does not currently have a safe shelter to house first responders during a storm event. (9-1-1 Communication Board, Government Workshop)  The impacts of the storm lead to the realization that this shelter is a high priority need.
• The existing Command and Control Center, located in the basement of the parish courthouse, is not large enough to house the 80 first responders required.  A larger facility is needed to establish a consolidated Emergency Operations Center.

Transportation and Infrastructure

• Road damage incurred during debris removal totaled over $400,000. (St. Charles Parish Post-Storm Event Road Assessment)
• Portions of the parish wastewater facilities are operating at or above capacity. The parish is under an EPA Administrative Order due to non-compliant effluent discharge from one of its facilities. Infrastructure improvements are needed to accommodate increased demand due to influx of evacuees and anticipated post-Katrina growth. (St. Charles DWP capital budget plan)
• St. Charles Parish is faced with a myriad of water supply problems exacerbated by the post-storm population increase.  Current east bank water production capacity is 6.3 million gallons per day.  Consumption in November 2005 averaged 5.1 million gallons per day leaving little reserve capacity. Infrastructure improvements are needed to accommodate increased demand and provide for the health and fire safety needs of the parish.
• There is no public transit system in St. Charles Parish. Therefore was no means of evacuation for the majority of the elderly, disabled and low income residents without personal transportation. These individuals were left vulnerable during the hurricane.

Housing and Community Development

• Approximately 6,428 families reported damages to their homes due to Hurricane’s Katrina and Rita.
• Population has increased in the parish by 1,610 households, or 9.4%, compared to the pre-storm estimated population of 50,730. (JHSC 1/27/06)
• There is an estimated shortage of 1,904 housing units within the parish (JHSC 1/27/06).
• As a result of the post-storm influx of evacuees, new workers in disaster-related employment seeking housing and local residents requiring temporary housing as they repair their primary residence, the parish is experiencing a severe shortage in rental units, especially those affordable to low-income residents. Currently over 60 Section 8 vouchers have gone unused because there are no units available. (St. Charles Parish Section 8-Program Manager)
• There have been approximately 1,045 permit applications received for temporary housing in the parish (St Charles Parish Planning and Zoning Department, 2/15/06).
• The parish enacted a moratorium on development on the east bank due to population growth and potable water shortage (Ordinance 2006-0011, January 9, 2006 council meeting).
• In January 2007 the parish will be required to adopt the International Building Codes.  Current staffing needs are inadequate to handle the increased workload anticipated with the new code requirements coupled with increased growth pressures.
• The 1990 Comprehensive Land Use Plan requires updating to reflect the new population increase.  An update was targeted for 2006, however the money has been pulled from the operating budget while the parish deals with other post-storm needs.  (St Charles Overall Planning Effort, South Central Planning and Development Commission).