The Community Comes Together

Immediately following the storms, the people of Southwest Louisiana banded together to help one another through the immediate challenges ahead. Meanwhile, the parishes and municipalities made progress on emergency response and short-term recovery efforts, including debris removal, temporary housing provision, power and water restoration, and other life and safety measures.

While these efforts were underway, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and hundreds of stakeholders collaborated to develop the Calcasieu Parish Hurricanes Laura and Delta Long-Term Community Recovery Plan, adopted in August 2021. The Long-Term Recovery Plan recommended the creation of a Community Resilience Master Plan to ensure the recovery efforts would be guided by a comprehensive vision for the broader region in the next 30 to 50 years.

Recognizing the pressing need to build a resilient home for his hometown region, Moss Bluff native and Yahoo! co-founder David Filo and his wife Angela made a generous donation of $2.5 million to the Community Foundation Southwest Louisiana. The Community Foundation engaged public and private stakeholders across Calcasieu and Cameron parishes in a listening tour to set the priorities for the Master Plan process. This input was used to form the national search for a consultant team to lead the once-in-a-generation process.

What distinguishes the Just Imagine SWLA process is the extent of the regional collaboration — two parishes, five cities, two towns, federal and state agencies, public authorities, school boards, elected officials, private industry, utility providers, universities and colleges, professional and civic organizations, non-profits, and everyday citizens came together to develop a shared vision for Southwest Louisiana. The plan focuses on Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes, which were the most impacted, but the recommendations apply to the five-parish region.

The vision balances long-term aspirations for the region, looking 50 years into the future, with the need to demonstrate early investment to convince former and future residents and businesses to return.

The public, private, and non-profit sectors, along with community stakeholders and individuals participating in the process, skillfully balanced these objectives. Consensus grew around a central theme — make Calcasieu and Cameron parishes great places to live for existing residents, and you will continue to attract new residents, employers, employees, and investment that will lift up the whole region. Improving access to the region’s beautiful natural amenities, expanding entertainment and cultural experiences, providing housing that individuals and families can afford, and investing in resilient infrastructure will strengthen the SWLA economy and prepare the region for the next 50 years.