BATON ROUGE, La. (KTAL/KMSS) - A research and education center has been awarded a $1.5 million grant to create software that can potentially reduce flood risks across Louisiana. The National Science Foundation awarded the money to The LaHouse Research and Education Center, whose director, Carol Friedland, said the tool will empower communities across Louisiana and help them make informed decisions to reduce flood-related damages significantly. According to Friedland, the app can help safeguard Louisiana's future. FILE - Floodwaters slowly recede in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in Lafitte, La., about 25 miles south of New Orleans, Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. While many swaths of the country are at risk for flooding, the Louisiana coast has long been especially vulnerable. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) The project aims to create software that will evaluate and simulate future flood damage scenarios. This can help communities create potential building and infrastructure damage in advance. It could also assist occupants of flood-prone areas throughout the state. The state's hazard mitigation officer, Jeffery Giering, said the software will be a much-needed tool that will help local officials make meaningful decisions about flood risks, community reactions, and responses. According to Charles Sutcliff, flooding threatens Louisiana communities and carries enormous economic costs. Sutcliff is the senior advisor for resilience at the National Wildlife Federation. The project will help Allen Parish, Beauregard Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, and Jefferson Davis Parish develop flood risk mitigation strategies. However, Michael Hollier, the Southwest Louisiana Regional Planning Commission's executive director, said the project can also help other parishes. “Since we’re transitioning from 500-year flood events to 1,000-year flood events and their frequency, it’s time to figure out how to deal with it," said Hollier. "We’ll do that by engaging businesses and residents throughout Southwest Louisiana on how best to prepare.” The NSF's Responsible Design, Development, and Deployment of Technologies program funded the project, which collaborates with LSU, CDM Smith engineering consultants, and other community partners. For more information, visit www.LSUAgCenter.com/LaHouse.