Summary of the Mitigation Strategy
The 102 recommended actions in this plan include a range of approaches to reducing the impacts of future disasters. While developing this plan, the Steering Committee considered actions that fall within each of six categories of mitigation actions as described by FEMA: Prevention, Property Protection, Structural Projects, Natural Resource Protection, Emergency Service Measures, and Public Education.
Prevention
Preventive activities reduce the potential of hazards to cause damage. The use and development of hazardous areas are limited by planning, land acquisition, or regulation. They are usually administered by building, zoning, planning, and/or code enforcement offices. Examples of prevention actions include hazard mapping and data collection and management, open space preservation, planning and zoning, building codes, and stormwater management. 46 of the 102 action items are prevention activities.
Several action items focus on data gathering and management, including hazard mapping and modeling. Comprehensive data are essential for monitoring the level of hazard exposure/risk, learning effective mitigation strategies, and tracking progress. Data collection and management actions include:
- Create a digital database of City infrastructure plans, surveys, and other spatial data to inform project design, stormwater modeling, and other uses.
- Maintain a comprehensive GIS database including data on properties, hazard areas, service districts, public works facilities, transportation infrastructure, and vulnerable populations.
- Maintain a database of all properties that sustain damage as a result of a hazard, including critical facilities.
- Create a citywide data platform of all green infrastructure projects.
- Conduct an Urban Heat Island Study that addresses extreme heat threats on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood level.
- Define standard metrics to measure resilience progress.
These action items call for the use of data, databases, and data management to improve stormwater management, comprehensively record damages from hazards, track green infrastructure projects, inform the city staff on areas that face extreme heat threats, and help better measure and track resilience projects. Through the implementation of these action items, the city can make more informed decisions and track the process.
A variety of planning documents were suggested as action items and require the input not only of the department of planning but several other city departments. Action items call for the drafting and/or implementation of planning documents, including a Parks Master Plan, Comprehensive Reforestation Plan, Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan, the Urban Water Plan, and Climate Action Plan. Some action items call for more regional planning and coordination on watershed management and transportation, especially for evacuation purposes.
Some preventive action items fall under the subcategory of building codes and regulations. Identified action items aim to enforce existing codes and policies and programs to encourage builders to go beyond minimum code requirements. Other action items propose the exploration of codes and policies that will better protect the tree canopy. New Orleans’ building codes were updated relatively recently and are consistent with current national standards. For that reason, the mitigation strategy does not include revision of the current building code but focuses instead on implementation of the existing standards. One action item calls for the self-assessment using the Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule.
Many prevention action items fall under the subcategory of stormwater management and drainage system maintenance. This includes improving stormwater retention capacity and/or drainage in specific locations around the city. Another stormwater management action item suggests the implementation of a stormwater fee to fund stormwater mitigation projects across the city.
In total, 46 preventative action items were suggested by working groups and the public. Through the process of review, preventative actions that involved developing or implementing plans, improving drainage, and hardening of critical facilities were assigned high priority. Medium-priority items involved the improvement of data management and project tracking. Several suggestions included the exploration of ways to improve codes, ordinances, and policies. These were generally given low-priority status.
Action items that were similar were consolidated. Some items were revised so that they were more actionable. For example, action no. 33 stated, “refocus from coastal habitat to coastal communities.” This suggestion was revised to “Study, explore, and identify actions that benefit not only coastal habitats but also preserve and protect coastal communities.”
Property Protection
Property protection measures are used to modify structures that are subject to damage. This can be approached in three ways: Modify the structure to prevent the hazard from reaching the building; Modify the structure so it can withstand the impacts of a hazard, and insure the property to provide financial relief after damage occurs. Property protection measures are generally implemented by the property owner, though sometimes technical and financial assistance can be provided by the local, regional, or federal government. Property protection includes measures such as Relocation, Acquisition, Building elevation, Retrofitting, and Insurance.
Building elevation refers to efforts to elevate homes that are at risk of flooding. The plan calls to continue programs to mitigate at-risk structures by physically elevating buildings to or above the Base Flood Elevation. Another action item suggests improving local elevation efforts by creating a digital system for cataloging, managing, and organizing Elevation Certificates acquired through local jurisdictions.
One suggested action item carried over from the 2015 HMP calls for the City to develop an acquisition program wherein property owners could elect to move out of the high-risk area to a lower risk area. The community has historically favored other approaches to property protection, but the committee felt that this should continue to be explored, as changing conditions may make this more favorable in the future.
The 2020 strategy continues to prioritize retrofitting all existing public facilities and designing future public facilities to be more wind and flood-resistant. Avoiding damages to public facilities will help to maintain continuity of essential services and shorten post-disaster recovery timelines.
Other items address the importance of insurance availability and affordability as a means of reducing disaster vulnerability. An example of this is the City’s continuing compliance with the NFIP and coordinating efforts across departments to maximize the city’s Community Rating System (CRS) score in order to reduce the cost of flood insurance. Another action item suggests creating a state-level insurance credit to incentivize the installation of roofs adhering to fortified building methods, which are designed to strengthen residential and commercial buildings against high winds and hurricanes.
Of the 14 action items that fell under the category of property protection, only one item was eliminated, “Create a digital system for cataloging, managing, and organizing Elevation Certificates acquired through local jurisdictions. Streamline the process for acquiring elevation permits in Orleans Parish.” This item was removed because it was redundant and was consolidated with action no. 2020.5.1, “Create and maintain databases to aid in floodplain management.”
Structural Project Protection
These projects involve the construction of manmade structures to control hazards. Structural projects can include dams, reservoirs, levees, seawalls, storm sewers, and elevated roadways. While structural projects are commonly used to mitigate stormwater, they can also mitigate other hazards. They are usually designed by engineers and managed or maintained by public works departments.
The action items suggested are mainly focused on enhancing draining in New Orleans through improvement to drainage infrastructure and implementation of green infrastructure projects. Actions to mitigate heat were also suggested, for example providing cooling stations during extreme heat events. Supporting and promoting voluntary home-mitigation efforts was also suggested as a structural protection action item.
Some items that fell under the category of structural project protection were redundant and thus consolidated. For example, action no. 2020.5.26, “Continue implementing projects from the Urban Water Plan,” was consolidated with an action to, “Support a cohesive approach to drainage improvements and other flood mitigation via GNO Urban Water Plan Part 2”. This Action is categorized under “prevention.”
Natural Resource Protection
Natural resource protection is intended to reduce the intensity of hazard effects as well as improve the quality of the environment and wildlife habitats. Examples of natural resource protection actions include erosion control, natural area restoration, water quality improvement, coastal barrier protection, and the creation of environmental corridors.
Eleven actions, specifically addressing natural resource protection, were suggested. Advocating for funding for various coastal restoration projects was the most common activity suggested. Other suggested actions include the development of nature trails and parks, a methane capture feasibility study, expansion of the city’s tree canopy, maintenance of a former landfill, and coordination with regional wetland and watershed management. All suggested actions that fall under the category of natural resource protection were chosen to be included in the action plan, and none were excluded or consolidated.
Natural resource protection provides benefits to the community by providing stormwater retention and alleviates flooding, coastal erosion, and subsidence. The protection of natural resources in the New Orleans area not only helps mitigate hazards but also improves urban greenery and quality of life for residents.
Emergency Service Measures
Emergency services measures are taken during an emergency to minimize its impact. These measures can include creating systems of hazard threat recognition and hazard warning, strengthening hazard response operations, protecting critical facilities, maintaining systems and structures of health and safety, and other mitigation activities. These measures are usually the responsibility of local emergency management staff and the owners or operators of major or critical facilities.
Suggested actions focus mainly on the maintenance of critical facilities, especially facilities that are used during flooding. These actions include upgrading and improving S&WB drainage systems. All suggested actions have been accepted.
Public Education and Awareness
Public information activities advise property owners, potential property owners, and visitors about the hazards and ways to protect people and property from the hazards. Activities and actions could include outreach, providing map information, real estate disclosure, technical assistance, environmental education, or providing topical resources.
Proposed actions include educating the public about green infrastructure, providing employee training on resilience, targeted education, and outreach to realtors, teachers, and city staff. Maintaining and promoting the use of decision-support tools, promoting hazard-resistant building methods.
No suggested action items that fall under the category of public education and awareness were eliminated. Some items were consolidated.
Public information activities enable residents and the city to increase overall hazard preparedness. Hazard mitigation activities identified by working groups and public feedback were focused on the targeted training and education of relevant stakeholders and the use and improvement of decision-making tools.
Analysis of Trends
Major trends run through the 102 suggested action items. These trends include supporting green infrastructure, protecting and expanding tree canopy, improving workforce opportunities, and resilient buildings.
Using Green Infrastructure
The Environmental Protection Agency defines green infrastructure as “a cost-effective, resilient approach to managing wet weather impacts that provide many community benefits. While single-purpose gray stormwater infrastructure—conventional piped drainage and water treatment systems—is designed to move urban stormwater away from the built environment, green infrastructure reduces and treats stormwater at its source while delivering environmental, social, and economic benefits.” Green infrastructure can come in the form of rain gardens, bioswales, urban tree canopy, land conservation, rainwater harvesting, and green roofs, parking lots, streets, and alleys. Primary benefits of green infrastructure are an increased capacity of the cityscape to absorb and/or drain floodwater, providing shade during extreme heat, and reducing the urban heat island effect. In some instances, green infrastructure can also reduce long-term energy and maintenance costs, provide recreational spaces, and improve aesthetic values.
At least six suggested actions directly call for the use of green infrastructure to help mitigate hazards, including the following:
- Create a citywide data platform of all green infrastructure projects.
- Complete a study on the economic impacts of green infrastructure and then implement the recommendations of the study.
- Include green infrastructure design into efforts to improve drainage infrastructure.
Expanding the City’s Tree Canopy
Several proposed initiatives involve the protection and expansion of the tree canopy as a measure to address stormwater management, extreme heat. The city’s trees are a valuable resource and make the city greener. At least seven suggested action items directly address the preservation and expansion of tree canopy, and six of these suggested actions are new, while one has been carried over from the 2015 HMP. The protection and expansion of the tree canopy would require effort from several city departments and non-governmental organizations, including the City Planning Commission (CPC), New Orleans Parks and Parkways, New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP), Department of Public Works, Department of Safety and Permits, Sustaining Our Urban Landscape (SOUL), Nola Tree Project, Coalition for Community Connection, Coalition for Coastal Louisiana, and Earth Economics.
The suggested activities fall under a variety of mitigation categories, including prevention, natural resource protection, and public education and awareness. Some actions involve making codes and ordinances that protect trees and make it easier to plant trees in the city. Preventative actions include developing a Comprehensive Reforestation Plan to find and address gaps in the existing tree canopy and researching options for an ordinance that would stipulate that new construction should include native tree planting and should protect existing trees on private property. Outreach and education activities involve the development of a public outreach and education plan to involve residents, businesses, and public officials to promote an equitable and healthy tree canopy. Each of these actions requires the input of different city and non-governmental stakeholders, and the combination of these efforts can help preserve, protect, and expand the New Orleans tree canopy, which in turn cools and greens the city and allows more space for pervious surfaces, which alleviate flooding and subsidence.
Economic Resilience
Many suggested action items called to create working opportunities and training and professional development for the local workforce. As the city secures mitigation funding and implements risk-reduction projects, these resources should increase workforce opportunities. Local resilience and mitigation efforts can be leveraged not only to improve the city’s resilience but also to train the local workforce in green jobs in the fields of sustainable construction, green infrastructure, energy and carbon capture and storage, and water quality. At least eleven suggested action items call for the creation of work opportunities, training, and capacity building.
Resilient Buildings
A number of actions in this plan address hazard-resilient buildings and infrastructure through building codes, structural retrofits, and incentive programs. Building codes were recently updated and consistent with national standards, so this strategy does not include actions to revise or strengthen current codes. Having strong building codes is only half the battle; the city must also work to enforce those building codes and even encourage the local construction industry to go beyond minimum requirements. Supporting this effort requires the training and capacity building of city employees and private sector construction practitioners. Action items that directly address this effort include requiring mandatory training in floodplain regulations for all building officials and continuing to educate target audiences on hazard-resistant building methods. In addition to enabling the local public and private construction industry, the city can strengthen its ability to enforce building codes. One action item calls to complete an assessment of the Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule, to improve the ability of relevant departments to enforce building codes. Another action item calls for the city to explore incentive programs and financing options for homeowners and builders to build more sustainably and resiliently. A third action item requests higher energy efficiency standards for new developments and using rebates and building codes to encourage these standards to be met.
Implementation Strategy
The Mitigation Actions identified in this Plan will be implemented in a variety of ways and will be overseen by the Hazard Mitigation Office in the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP). Some Actions will be implemented through ongoing organization and routine assignments of City staff, while others will be implemented through strengthening City policies, programs, building codes, and other planning tools. Many actions will require coordination between the several agencies identified as playing lead and supporting roles, including city agencies, signatories to this multi-jurisdictional plan, and other partners in the community. For more detail about how the HMP and the mitigation actions are will be implemented by the signatories, see the Incorporation into Existing Planning Programs section.
Implementation of the Mitigation Strategy will require a combination of local, federal, and state funds. Many actions may be funded through federal and state programs and will require these external funds before they can be implemented. The information developed for each action includes the necessary detail to begin implementing the action, including:
- Lead agency/support agencies to implement the action
- Preliminary cost estimates (including ongoing maintenance costs)
- Funding sources
- The time frame for implementing action
Before implementing any project, the Hazard Mitigation Office will work with the lead agency to conduct a benefit-cost review. This review will ensure that the City is optimizing the benefits to the community. For actions that require grant funding, a full benefit-cost analysis will be prepared to comply with grant program requirements. Projects with a benefit-cost ratio of greater than one will be considered appropriate for implementation; projects with a benefit-cost ratio of equal to or less than one will not be considered appropriate for implementation.
The Hazard Mitigation Office will be responsible for the general management of the implementation of the mitigation strategies in the Plan. Accordingly, the Hazard Mitigation Office of the NOHSEP will have the authority to divide projects into phases to facilitate implementation. The Hazard Mitigation Office will also continue to build on our partnerships with local universities and colleges for assistance with mitigation activities when appropriate.
In addition, NOHSEP will be responsible for preparing a strategy to implement the mitigation actions in the Plan as part of a disaster recovery process. Frequently, a disaster is followed by a very large infusion of Federal and State development capital for local jurisdictions. Combining mitigation actions with the recovery process can achieve many of a community's mitigation goals; however, communities often have difficulty combining mitigation and recovery actions if they have not prepared to do so in advance. Following final approval of the Plan, NOHSEP will identify the mitigation actions in the Plan that would be most appropriate to implement as part of a disaster recovery process. The organization and processes for integrating this hazard mitigation strategy during the disaster recovery process will be further elaborated in NOHSEP’s Comprehensive Recovery Plan, due to be developed in 2021.
Orleans Parish Previous Mitigation Actions
While many of the Mitigation Actions set forth in the 2015 Orleans Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan were accomplished, there are a number of Actions that are either continuously ongoing or were outstanding at the time of the 2020 Plan update. These Actions are still deemed important to reducing potential losses identified in the risk assessment for Orleans Parish, and thus are being carried forward in the 2020 Mitigation Strategy. A full list of new 2015 carried-over Mitigation Actions is provided here:
2015 Carried-Over Mitigation Actions Table
Orleans Parish New Mitigation Actions
New 2020 Mitigation Actions were developed in close coordination with stakeholders representing City and regional agencies, non-profit and community-based organizations, and other local partners through two rounds of Working Group meetings. A full list of new 2020 Mitigation Actions is provided here:
2020 New Mitigation Actions Table