Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on August 29, 2021, as a Category 4 hurricane, causing widespread devastation across the state. Lafourche Parish experienced significant damage, with thousands of residential structures impacted by the storm’s high winds and flooding. The total damage across the state was estimated to exceed $55 billion, making Ida one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history.

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The Lafourche Parish Substantial Damage Assessments Program was launched to assist the Parish’s Floodplain Manager in determining whether residential and commercial structures were substantially damaged, a critical requirement for compliance with FEMA’s floodplain management standards. The program provided essential inspections to identify properties that had sustained damage exceeding 50% of their pre-storm market value, ensuring that residents received the guidance needed to rebuild safely and in accordance with floodplain regulations.

 

H2Bravo’s scope of work for this program included overall program management of the inspection process, development of the project database, and staffing and management of both the customer service call center and field inspection teams. The team also developed the inspection protocols and provided training for inspectors to ensure consistent and accurate assessments. H2Bravo mobilized a call center of 30 people within one week of project initiation and deployed the project’s database within nine days, enabling inspections to begin promptly.

 

One of the key innovations in this project was the rapid development and deployment of a customized database to manage inspection data and streamline reporting. The system allowed inspectors to record findings in real-time, ensuring that Lafourche Parish officials had access to up-to-date information to support recovery planning and compliance with FEMA requirements.

 

The success of the Lafourche Parish Substantial Damage Assessments Program was driven by H2Bravo’s ability to rapidly mobilize resources and implement effective workflows. Over 17,000 inspections were completed, providing essential compliance data to aid the parish’s recovery efforts. The program ensured that residents received clear guidance on rebuilding requirements and helped Lafourche Parish maintain eligibility for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a critical component of future disaster resilience.