Louisiana | Mississippi | Texas
The storm hit on Monday, September 1 and by the time it left the state it had caused damage in every parish except 2. The LA SHPO staff was able to return to their office on September 8th. Our state, parish and local governments all learned lessons from Katrina, making the preparations prior to the storm and the recovery after the storm tremendously better than in the past. It is very impressive how well all levels of government have worked together and cooperated during this catastrophe. Even FEMA and the federal government have done a better job!
Several of our Main Street communities were severely impacted by Gustav. The most heavily damaged communities were those in the northeast quadrant of the storm as it traveled across the state. The band of heaviest destruction includes the Main Street communities of Houma, Donaldsonville, Plaquemine, Denham Springs, Clinton, New Roads, and St. Francisville. There are significantly fewer huge trees standing in Baton Rouge. The eye of the hurricane crossed directly over Morgan City, but luckily it suffered relatively little damage. After causing wind and flood damage in south Louisiana, it continued into north Louisiana, dumping 10-12 inches of rain in periods of less than 12 hours. Many towns have experienced flooding and backwater in areas that never flooded in the past. The heaviest damage is from fallen trees and wind damage to roofs and awnings. FEMA have been very slow in getting blue tarps to the state and then distributed to areas of need. There are none available to be purchased at the stores. Supposedly there is a FEMA stockpile of blue tarps somewhere in the country that is making its way to Louisiana. When these arrive, it will be a tremendous help in minimizing further damage from water entering people's homes and businesses.
Even though recovery is progressing, we are still in a challenging situation here in Louisiana. We are concerned that the national media is not reporting on the significance of this disaster. It seems that when they learned that New Orleans was relatively unscathed, they assumed this was the case in the rest of the state and either lost interest or moved on to other news items. Even though we are all tremendously relieved that the people in New Orleans did not have to go through another traumatic recovery, the rest of the state is dealing with serious issues. We are grateful to the volunteers who have once again come from across the country to assist us with the cleanup and recovery. Literally thousands of power company employees are helping to restore power. Over one half of Louisiana lost power at the height of the storm. Please know that while New Orleans is okay, other parts of the state will be rebuilding and recovering for a long time.
Click here for National Trust for Historic Preservation Report from New Orleans
Contact: Phil Boggan
Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism
Phone: 225-342-8160
Email: pboggan@crt.state.la.us
http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/?
We have damage, but it is so much less than it could have been that we are very thankful.
The tidal surge across the MS coast was from 8 to 12 feet, compared with more than 30 feet during Katrina. Hancock County (our western-most county along the coast) suffered a great deal of flooding and we suspect that at least a couple of our Katrina grant restoration projects may have been severely damaged or lost. At least one building in Gulfport's downtown historic district collapsed. We evacuated all of the equipment and files from our Biloxi office the end of last week. While there was as much as 3 feet of storm surge flooding within a block or so of our office, initial reports are that the ca. 1920 bungalow housing office has survived very well.
The state has also sustained significant damage inland. Natchez/Adams County, which is at least 150 miles from the Coast, has been hit very hard; most of the county is without power or phone service. Initial reports are that a building significant to the city's African-American heritage, which was about to undergo restoration with funding from one of our state grant programs, has collapsed. Flooding, flash-flooding, and tornado damage is affecting many areas across the southern third of the state. The storm essentially "parked" and dropped huge amounts of precipitation. We are attempting to obtain accurate assessments of the extent of damage.
Contact: Ken P'Pool
Division of Historic Preservation
Phone: 601-576-6940
E-mail: kppool@mdah.state.ms.us
www.mdah.state.ms.us/
The Texas Historical Commission is preparing to send teams to the areas by Hurricane Ike, including Galveston and other coastal areas, and are looking for architects and those experienced in storm recovery to volunteer their expertise in a week or so out. The Galveston Historical Foundation, Preservation Texas and the National Trust for Historic Preservation are helping out by providing technical support and other on-site assistance.
Contact: Stan Graves
Texas Historical Commission
Phone: 512. 463.6099
E-mail: stan.graves@thc.state.tx.us
www.thc.state.tx.us/
September 3, 2008
Cedar Rapids, Iowa…. The Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance hosted Representative Dave Loebsack on a visit to the flood-damaged Bohemian Commercial Historic District in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Tuesday September 2, 2008. Congressman Loebsack visited with several historic building owners and toured their buildings. The building owners thanked the Congressman for his efforts to get flood recovery legislation yet this fall that will feature an increase in the percentage of Federal historic rehabilitation income tax credits on projects related to storm damage recovery. Mr. Loebsack also reaffirmed his support of the proposed “$38 million Historic Resources” grant funds legislation for Midwest flood storm and flood recovery, which includes $3million for the State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO’s) to process the enormous amount of project reviews of Federally funded recovery projects as required by the section 106 process of the Historic Preservation Act.
Congressman Loebsack complemented the building owners on their substantial progress in cleaning out their badly damaged historic buildings and their readiness to start to rebuild before the harsh Iowa winter sets in. Rod Scott, meeting organizer and Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance (IHPA) board member said, “The Iowa and Federal historic rehabilitation income tax credit programs are essential to the rehabilitating of these structures”. Rod, a flood and historic preservation specialty contractor, has spent one to two days per week over the last 8 weeks volunteering in Cedar Rapids to work with multiple historic building owners to assess their damages, photo document rehabilitation needs and make application to the state and federal income tax incentive programs. The IHPA has reimbursed Rod for his mileage and meal costs.
The building owners emphasized the fact that the Iowa winter will be here in less than 60 days and with out the required new electrical service wiring and new energy efficient heating equipment these buildings will not be inhabitable until the spring months of 2009, which will further exacerbate the already critical housing shortage here due to the loss of 4,000 flooded homes. Many of these historic buildings have intact second and third level housing that was undamaged by the flooding. Robert Chadima, owner of the JG Cherry Building noted that “Expedited review by state and federal officials of our proposed projects will be essential to our success.”
The Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance mission is “To build partnerships that enhance our economic and cultural future through the preservation of Iowa’s significant historic resources.”
Click here for photos from this visit
Contact: Rod Scott
rod.scott@mchsi.com
Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance
www.iowapreservation.org
Resources for Disaster Response
- Disaster Mitigation for Historic Structures: Protection Strategies. (Florida SHPO)
- Disaster Planning for Historic Resources (from the Florida SHPO)
- After the Flood - Rebuilding Communities Through Historic Preservation (from the Georgia SHPO)
- As the Floodwater's Recede - A Checklist of Things to Do (from the North Carolina SHPO)
- Tips For Handling Insurance Claims For Historic Properties Following A Disaster (from the North Carolina SHPO)
- Additional Helpful Tips For Historic Properties (from the North Carolina SHPO)
- Tips for Drying Out A Water-Damaged Building (from the North Carolina SHPO)
- Selecting a Contractor After A Natural Disaster Strikes (from the North Carolina SHPO)
- Landscape Restoration Following a Natural Disaster(from the North Carolina SHPO)
- Before and After Disasters Federal Funding for Cultural Institutions
A publication of Heritage Preservation- American Association of Museums - American Association of Museums: Managing Reaction: A Decision-Making Tree in Times of Crisis
Courtney B. Wilson, Executive Director Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum- Repair or demolish: protecting the investment in your older home
A National Trust for Historic Preservation publication- Saving your Flood Damaged Older and Historic Buildings
A National Trust for Historic Preservation publication- Flood Relief Resources from the National Main Street Center
- Tools that Protect Historic Resoruces After a Disaster (Powerpoint) - (From the California SHPO)
- Tips for Working with Emergency Responders
From the Heritage Emergency National Task Force
- Disaster resources for libraries, archives, museums, and historic sites and districts are available at www.heritagepreservation.org/programs/TFHurricanePub.htm.
- An assessment form, supply lists, and other tools from the Field Guide to Emergency Response can be downloaded at www.heritagepreservation.org/pubs/fgforms.htm.
- The American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works maintains a force of 64 “rapid responders” trained to assess damage and initiate salvage of cultural collections after a disaster has occurred. Cultural institutions needing assistance should contact the AIC office at 202-452-9545 for a referral.
- Many regional conservation centers offer free telephone advice and other services. Contact the Regional Alliance for Preservation at 1-800-843-8492.
- “Save Your Treasures the Right Way“ provides simple guidelines for the public to help them salvage family photographs and other heirlooms. A copy is attached. Find other resources for the public at www.heritagepreservation.org/programs/TFHurricanePub.htm.
- Guide to Navigating Federal Emergency Management Agency and Small Business Administration Disaster Aid for Cultural Institutions
Heritage Preservation Resources available for purchase
- Expert Advice for libraries, museums, and the public on rescuing treasures from water damage available as free streaming video. Practical tips on safety, salvage priorities, and equipment help the viewer get started on the rescue of photographs, books, documents, and other valued items. http://www.heritagepreservation.org/PROGRAMS/WaterSegmentFG.HTM
- Field Guide to Emergency Response What actually happens may be very different from what you expect. Even with a plan, you'll need clear and practical advice to help you with initial response and salvage steps. https://www.heritagepreservation.org/catalog/product.asp?IntProdID=33
- The 2005 edition of Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel features an updated section on protecting electronic records, a water-resistant coating, and magnets for easy access. https://www.heritagepreservation.org/catalog/Wheel1.htm
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For corrections or comments on the website please contact Kristen Harbeson at harbeson@sso.org
