ST. CHARLES -
St. Charles Parish is using global positioning system equipment to collect data on local levee heights for use in storm surge modeling by Louisiana State University AgCenter and the National Hurricane Center.
Crews, including parish Geographic Information Systems Coordinator Luis Martinez and Technology Specialist Abel Dufrene, recently gathered field data at the Magnolia Ridge levee in Boutte and Sunset Drainage District levee in Bayou Gauche.
The data will also be utilized by the parish's in-house GIS system, administered by Martinez, of Hahnville.
"It's important for us to get real facts and information about the flood protection systems that are already in place, especially on the West Bank of our parish," Parish President V.J. St. Pierre Jr. said. "With the establishment of a reliable GIS mapping system, we'll be able to make infrastructure improvements and even planning decisions more easily."
Martinez began building new maps after he came on board in 2008 and is looking forward to gathering more accurate information on drainage systems and water and sewer lines in addition to elevation and zoning information. His work will yield an interactive map of the parish that can be used by government, residents and businesses alike.
The work-in-progress can be viewed at www.stcharlesparish-la.gov/gis.
The levee information will allow researchers to more accurately create storm surge scenarios using projected and historical storm tracks. The model has been used during Hurricane Ike to predict storm surge results with reliable accuracy. St. Charles
Parish's collaborative efforts with LSU and NHC will provide sufficient data to validate the model, allowing better predictions of storm surge for future storm events.
For more information about St. Charles Parish's GIS efforts, call (985) 783-5000.
The mission of St. Charles Parish government is to provide high quality, efficient services to sustain and enhance the quality of life for all residents of St. Charles Parish.
