The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing $19 million for flood mitigation efforts at nine sewerage pump stations in New Orleans.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat, said in a statement Friday that improving the sewerage infrastructure can help the city prepare for reduce the impact of a natural disaster.
The FEMA grant will pay for elevating and hardening the pump stations to prevent the kind of flood damage that occurred during hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.
The pump stations serve public buildings as well as commercial and residential properties.