News Release Distributed 05/16/14

DELCAMBRE, La. – The latest practices and technology to help coastal residents stormproof their homes will be demonstrated by LSU AgCenter experts at the Delcambre Seafood and Farmers Market on June 7.

“With hurricane season starting, we wanted to show coastal residents the different materials and methods available to them to improve their homes and make them more durable for storm events,” said Thomas Hymel, LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant fisheries agent.

The event will be held at the Delcambre Shrimp Festival grounds from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

A mobile demonstration unit from the LSU AgCenter’s LaHouse will be available to show area residents several options for improvements that can be made to existing homes to make them more durable.

Hymel said the mobile unit demonstrates many of the building practices used in the LaHouse facility near the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, including insulation improvements. He said copies of a homeowners guidebook illustrating the different methods will be available.

Computers also will be available to show residents and landowners the current elevations of their property, Hymel said. Programs can be used to show water levels from storm surges at specific locations along coastal Louisiana.

Many residents were not flooded by recent hurricanes Rita and Ike, but those storms were not the worst-case scenarios, he said.

The Seafood and Farmers Market will have more than 60 vendors, Hymel said, selling a wide variety of crafts, vegetables and seafood.

“Shrimp season will be open, so shrimp will be available at a good price,” he said.

The event is being funded by a grant from the Port of Delcambre.

“This is part of the effort to frame the issues to become more resilient and promote adaptation and change,” said Wendell Verret, Port of Delcambre director.

The event also could help with a program that could result in discounts for flood insurance premiums, Verret said. “We’re just beginning to get into that issue.”