A major bill set for passage by Congress is expected to eventually result in billions of dollars in flood risk reduction projects in Louisiana as well as trigger a review of whether New Orleans area levees should be further strengthened to protect against so-called 200-year storms.

The projects are part of comprehensive water resources legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday. A Tuesday night House-Senate committee agreement led to the approval by including the long-delayed National Defense Authorization Act, which provides the nation’s military funding, in the bill. The Senate is expected to pass it in the days ahead.

“We’ve said countless times that our country is better off investing in stronger flood and hurricane protection projects rather than charging higher flood insurance rates or footing the bill to pick up debris after a natural disaster," said U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, who helped draft many of the Louisiana provisions in the House version of the bill. 

U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, Republican Whip in the House, also praised passage of the bill.

Louisiana sees big flood protection projects in federal bill | Environment | nola.com