One of CPEX’s priorities is to create resilient communities across the state, and flood mitigation is a key part of that. This week marks the fifth anniversary of the historic flood that devastated parts of South and Central Louisiana. At the time, I was backpacking through the jungles of Peru with my husband and friends—cut-off from the outside world—without phone service or wifi. Once we reached our next big-city destination, we were immediately bombarded with phone calls from family and friends detailing the devastation taking place back home. We watched helplessly as my husband’s grandmother was rescued by the National Guard and loaded into a military vehicle, as my friend’s mom was saved from the rising floodwaters in a canoe, and as many friends and family members lost everything.