VIDALIA — A list of 103 roads in Concordia Parish that flood for six to 60 hours during heavy rains was flooded with compliments and praise from police jury members Monday.

The list, which was complied by grant writer Donna Remides, is one of many steps needed for the parish to receive funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to conduct a parish-wide drainage study.

“The study would identify needs and concerns regarding roads in the parish that are life-threatening or an inconvenience to citizens in any way,” Remides said Monday evening after the Concordia Parish Police Jury meeting. “Once we have all these roads identified, we will be closer and closer to receiving funding for the study.”

Since July, Remides has been compiling information to find roads that have flooded during the past 10 years. That information gathering included knocking on doors throughout the parish and requesting each jury member submit roads from their districts.

“With this list I have right here, we’re over halfway there with all the information that’s needed,” Remides said. “I’m going to keep knocking on doors and asking people to submit information to me, but I’ll go ahead and send this to homeland security to get the process moving.”

The survey, Remides said, is part of the first phase in the plan to receive the federal funding. Phase two includes analyzing solutions to begin correcting the problems of the flooding.

Police Jury President Melvin Ferrington, along with several board members, commended Remides for working diligently on such an important project for the parish.

“This is something we’ve been working toward for several years, and Mrs. Remides has been working hard to make sure we get it done,” Ferrington said after the meeting. “It’s very important that we identify any available funding to help us with our drainage projects.

“This is a high-priority issue for Concordia Parish.”

Once all the information is submitted, Remides said the agency will perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine how much funding Concordia Parish is eligible to receive.

“I want to make sure I gather as much information as possible so Concordia Parish gets their fair share of funding,” Remides said. “Any road that’s life-threatening to a home or business because it floods during heavy rains is what I’m looking to collect information on.”

The police jury adopted a resolution to accept the list Remides submitted on Monday evening, with the condition that it could be added to as other information was compiled.

To submit a road to the list, contact Remides at 318-669-6116 or at remides@bellsouth.net.