ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. (WGNO) – If you live in St. Tammany Parish and have concerns about drainage, parish leaders want to hear from you.

According to Michael Vinsanau, the parish spokesperson, this is the first time they are looking at storm water runoff across the entire parish to see how it is affecting those who live and work in St. Tammany Parish.

With their comprehensive drainage plan, parish officials are hoping to reduce flood risks and increase public safety.

“I think it’s just Southeast Louisiana, you have heavy rainfall, you have hurricanes, we just have so many natural weather instances that we need to look at the parish as a whole and determine what our needs are today and what are needs are going to be in 20 years,” Vinsanau said.

Some business owners in Old Mandeville say their business has flooded plenty of times but that their location involves risk. 

“We can be improved on the drainage situation itself just for the regular raining,” Kelly Super, the owner of The Beach House Bar & Grill, said. “I don’t know how much they can do about storm water right here because it’s just so close to the lake.”

St. Tammany Parish officials are asking for the public’s feedback to help them identify areas in need of improvement, and some are happy to participate.

“I’d love to talk to them, too, and see what their ideas are and plans are,” Super said. “I’m sure there can be improvement.”

The virtual process is said to be easy!

“If you follow that link, you’ll find a map, and you could literally zoom into your house and follow the prompts,” Vinsanau explained. “You can click on it. I think it’s flooding, or erosion, or sediment concerns, and you just fill out the form, and it inputs it on that map.”

To submit a comment related to flooding, drainage, and erosion or sediment control, click here and follow the prompts.

Open house meetings will be held in mid-November and January.