On Monday, May 17, weather that's usually seen during hurricane season came early as flooding rains drenched the Louisiana coast - all the way from Lake Charles to New Orleans, and the Acadiana parishes in between.
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers budgeted $50 million to spot dredge the Vermilion River, Congressman Clay Higgins (R-Lafayette) announced Friday.
Higgins announcement comes on the heels of an emergency approval of $5 million by Lafayette s City Council for spot dredging along the river following intense rain in Lafayette last week that prompted isolated flooding.
The May 17 storm dumped more than 6 inches of rain on Lafayette in the span of just a few hours, pushing the Vermilion River to its highest levels since the 2016 floods. We ve worked with the Corps to prioritize federal investments for spot dredging. Deepening the river at key points will provide greater water retention capacity for the region and help mitigate flood threats, Higgins said in a statement Friday. This funding, if fully realized in the Corps’ Work Plan, would be a major win.