St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper announced today, the completion of the installation of a FloodBreak Automatic Floodgate Mitigation System — in the Fox Hollow subdivision in the Slidell area. This gate is the first of its kind in the State of Louisiana installed in a residential neighborhood. With the installation of this gate, the gap in the levee system will now be closed during a flood event. This system requires no man power to operate, and is automatically activated by flood waters which cause the gate to rise and protect the area where the gate is installed. As the flood waters recede, the gate recedes as well. No man power is required to operate the system. When not activated, the gate lies underground, flush with the roadway, and residents simply drive over it. It is touted as a “passive, automatic flood barrier system that provides permanent and virtually invisible flood protection without human intervention or power.”
“This completion of this project will give the residents of Fox Hollow additional flood protection with the most innovative technology available, as well as additional peace of mind,” said Mike Cooper, St. Tammany Parish President. “We appreciate the help of all who advocated for this project — Councilman T.J. Smith and members of Drainage District #4. The protection of life and property during a weather event is our goal with every flood mitigation measure we put into place.”
“Water knows no boundaries and because of that we have found it necessary to protect the 1500-plus residents to help prevent them from flooding,” said T.J. Smith, St. Tammany Parish Councilman, District 14. “With the leadership of Drainage District #4, we have been able to provide an additional resource that supplements the additional five miles of levees and the pumps for this district.”
Warner Trucking is the contractor for this project, and Mike Riviere of Infinity Engineering is the engineer. The cost of the project is $369,797.00.
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