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South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association, Hurricane Ida Recovery

Project Overview
Due to the devastation to infrastructure and power distribution capabilities caused by Hurricane Ida on August 28, 2021, the South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association (SLECA) engaged Royal to provide Hurricane Emergency Disaster Recovery Project Management and Administrative Support Services for FEMA/GOHSEP Grant Activities associated with this disaster. Less than 24 hours after the storm, Royal mobilized emergency response operations, helping SLECA initiate damage assessments and debris removal and monitoring activities. Royal supported SLECA in establishing an emergency base camp and instituted a check-in and check-out process to track the influx of support personnel and equipment from fellow co-ops and contractors throughout the Gulf Coast region utilizing our RoyalVUE storm response platform to effectively manage the entire process end-to-end.

Project Work and Royal Solutions
Royal helped establish and implement emergency protocols for the weeks immediately following the disaster and is currently assisting with ongoing recovery activities.
Ongoing support with management activities includes establishment and maintenance of an electronic document management system; oversight and assistance with damage assessments; assistance with procurement activities; review and assistance in processing requests for reimbursement; progress and financial reporting to SLECA and GOHSEP; functioning as liaison with local, state, and federal representatives; and working closely with GOHSEP and FEMA on the development of FEMA Project Worksheets (PW).

During PW development, Royal reviews project eligibility determinations, assists with accurate and comprehensive damage description and scopes of work, reviews completed Cost Estimating Format for appropriate funding, identifies potential Section 406 and 428 Hazard Mitigation Proposal opportunities, and reviews draft PW version and recommends approval or adjustment.

Royal assisted with all Emergency Protective Measures, established lodging facilities for over 1,120 contractors and linemen, managed the procurement of over 50 vendors and contractors whose costs reached $150 million, assisted with all components of response and recovery, and was “on the ground” with SLECA for the duration of Hurricane Ida recovery efforts. Royal provided a full suite of grants management services and has presented over $125 million to FEMA for reimbursement for completed recovery work through the PA process.

Our RoyalVUE storm response platform increased the efficiency of field and office work during response and recovery. The enhanced reporting and dashboard capabilities allow for real-time data analysis, which prompted better decision-making by leadership. Through complex data management and streamlined reporting, we were able to help SLECA obtain faster funding reimbursements.