MONEY FOR FLOOD MITIGATION: Louisiana is spending $277 million in federal cash received after last year's March and August floods to fortify communities against future disasters. And so Gov. John Bel Edwards is traveling the state to explain the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and why it was established. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Plans include buyouts of flood-prone properties, improved drainage, and home elevations. But the Edwards administration says the dollars are woefully short of what is needed to improve Louisiana's resilience in storms.