Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann told the Sun Herald he’s worried a new levee in Louisiana could place low-lying areas of South Mississippi in danger because water would be pushed toward Hancock County and other Coast areas.
He said he’d spoken with residents in Pearlington and south Hancock County after Hurricane Isaac in 2012. They recalled their experiences of watching the water rise in those low-lying areas, which were also hard hit by Hurricane Katrina and other storms. The new proposals in Louisiana, which began to make news early this year, give Hosemann pause about what storm surges could do to the Coast if those plans are carried out.
“These people have overcome so much,” he said. “We simply cannot put them at risk. This is not a question to me. There simply cannot be any levee structure that would increase the probability of increased water in Mississippi.”
In the last few months, Coast officials have come out against the idea a levee should be built to either close or partially close Lake Pontchartrain. The plan, which would involve a 24-foot barrier levee, is one of several under consideration to protect St. Tammany Parish, which is just across the state line from Hancock County.
Louisiana officials said earlier this year they’re looking at various proposals to reduce flooding in problem areas there, but have no intention of building levees that would flood Mississippi, according to The Associated Press.
U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., has asked the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study the proposals’ effects on South Mississippi’s coastal counties.
Gov. Phil Bryant also asked Hosemann to study the issue and he’s working with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources ahead of discussions with Louisiana officials. Hosemann said Bryant and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, both Republicans, have a good working relationship.
