Human Levee for Fair Flood Protection
A floodwall is needed for both sides of the Monticello Canal.
Click to see full press release on event.

Residents returning to the Carrollton/Hollygrove neighborhood New Orleans have struggled over the last months to get basic flood protection for their neighborhood. The Monticello Canal, despite its high levee and floodwall on the Jefferson Parish side, has virtually no flood protection on the Orleans Parish side, leaving the Carrollton/Hollygrove neighborhood extremely vulnerable.

Lifetime Hollygrove resident Nyra Humphries is almost finished repairing and moving back into her home. Looking out from her yard into the Monticello Canal everyday, she cannot help but be worried that her months of hard work will be in vain. \"It\'s hard to put so much time and money into my home when there\'s no work done to prevent more flooding,\" Nyra said.

ACORN members have worked closely over the last months with Councilmember Shelley Midura and met with officials from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Sewerage & Water Board. Although officials acknowledge that the neighborhood is at a risk from flooding they have no plans to build flood protection in the next five years.

According to Hurricane Expert Dr. Ivor Van Heerden: “There will be rainfall flooding in Carrollton” due to canal overtopping.

The Carrollton/Hollygrove area is the most at risk for flooding from any major rain event and the city has no plans to protect the neighborhood. This is unacceptable. This lack of respect for residents highlights the city’s attitude towards those returning to low to moderate-income neighborhoods.

ACORN members across the city will be joined by supporters from the RFK Center for Human Rights, including Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert Kennedy, protesting this injustice and coming together to form a human levee to extend the length of the unprotected Monticello Canal. Neighbors demand immediate action to increase flood protection.

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ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) is the nation\'s largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, with over 350,000 member families organized into 800 neighborhood chapters in 103 cities across the country. Since 1970 ACORN has taken action and won victories on issues of concern to our members, including better housing for first time homebuyers and tenants, living wages for low-wage workers, more investment in our communities from banks and governments, and better public schools.