Louis Armstrong airport briefs Kenner council on hurricane readiness; airport pump station now has manual-start capability

City of Kenner council members heard a presentation from officials of the Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport on the airport’s hurricane-season preparations and the status of a stormwater pump station that serves airport property and contributes to parish drainage.

Airport Director Kevin D'Oleo and Walter Krajalski, deputy director of operations and maintenance, briefed the council on the airport’s Hurricane Condition (Hurcon) tiers, staffing and equipment checks, and recent changes to the small pump station in the northwest corner of airport property.

The briefing matters to Kenner because the airport is a regional recovery hub during storms and because runoff and drainage from airport property tie into Jefferson Parish systems. The update responded to a state concurrent resolution asking the New Orleans Aviation Board to brief local officials on hurricane preparedness and to questions raised by Kenner residents after past flooding events.

Krajalski said the airport’s hurricane plan is reviewed annually and uses Hurcon levels tied to storm timing to trigger actions such as securing facilities, topping off fuel and equipment, positioning recovery materials and activating the airport emergency operations center. “It’s a living and breathing document that we review annually in anticipation of the hurricane season,” Krajalski said.

He described operational…