Nearly 100,000 Cubic Yards of Debris Removed from Calcasieu Parish Drainage System

Published November 15, 2021

The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury has reported that more than 99,000 cubic yards of debris have been removed from laterals in the Lake Charles watershed in Phase 1A of the hurricane debris removal project.

The contractor, Crowder Gulf, has collected more than 99,000 cubic yards of debris in laterals in the Lake Charles watershed in Phase 1A of the hurricane debris removal project in Calcasieu Parish drainage laterals. The debris removal project following Hurricanes Laura and Delta is projected to take more than a year. The cost is expected to be around $100 million, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency covering up to 90% of the costs.

In a press release, Police Jury President Brian Abshire said “We are thrilled about this large-scale debris removal program in Calcasieu…The cleanup is crucial to improve our drainage throughout the parish and is an essential part of our recovery from these devastating storms.”

The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury must follow strict FEMA requirements in order to obtain the 90 percent refund. As FEMA authorizes the various plans presented, debris removal will commence in parallel phases in laterals throughout the parish. The largest laterals will be the focus of phase 1 projects, which will continue until phase 4, which will include the smallest. Over the next year, the project will be divided into 22 sub-phases. During the project, debris will be removed from 1,316 miles of laterals.

Following Hurricane Laura in 2020, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury began the process of scoping the program, locating debris, and acquiring necessary permits and clearances from various federal agencies. The Police Jury signed cooperative effort agreements with the two drainage districts in Calcasieu Parish, allowing the program to start on May 27, 2021, and the Jury chose Crowder Gulf as the contractor on July 1, 2021. Phase 1A of debris removal began in early October 2021.

Crowder Gulf is the same disaster recovery and debris removal company used to pickup hurricane debris by many local governments immediately following hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020.

Featured image source: CPPJ