Located in southeastern Louisiana and on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain the City of Slidell took a direct hit when Hurricane Katrina made its landfall. Slidell sustained a catastrophic hit from 176 MPH winds and 17’ storm surge.

Hurricane Katrina inflicted devastating damages to Slidell’s infrastructure and facilities from Lake Pontchartrain brackish floodwaters, damaging its administrative buildings and ravaging the City’s sewer and drainage systems.

The complicated Public Assistance recovery process required a dedicated team of professionals working tirelessly using organized approach and strong program policy knowledge to deliver a successful and meaningful recovery.

The City of Slidell initiated and championed Louisiana’s fight to require FEMA to include NFIP cost compliance in Public Assistance Grant Funding, something vehemently opposed by FEMA. Slidell’s success in reversing FEMA’s objections resulted in significant increase of reconstruction funding.

Slidell’s recovery can be used as a model for how a small city can emerge from a devastating disaster stronger and better prepared to withstand future storms while also rebuilding modern facilities to better serve the community.