THIS EDA INVESTMENT WILL LEVERAGE RECOVERY, RESILIENCE, AND EQUITY IN COLUMBIA, LOUISIANA. THE PORT OF COLUMBIA IS ADDRESSING THE LOCAL AND REGIONAL NEED FOR OPERATIONAL CONTINUITY DURING DISASTERS BY DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING AN EMERGENCY STAGING AREA, WHICH WILL SERVE AS A CENTRAL HUB FOR EFFICIENT EMERGENCY RESPONSES. THE EMERGENCY STAGING AREA ENABLES RAPID RESPONSES BY STREAMLINING RESOURCES, EQUIPMENT, AND PERSONNEL ACCESS DURING EMERGENCIES OPTIMIZING CRITICAL SUPPLIES ALLOCATION, WHILE COLLABORATION EFFECTIVE COORDINATION AMONG VARIOUS AGENCIES AND STAKEHOLDERS. THE EMERGENCY STAGING AREA ALSO SUPPORTS THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR ENSURING BUSINESS CONTINUITY AND SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE, ATTRACTING INVESTMENTS, AND PROMOTING ECONOMIC GROWTH. THIS PROJECT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE REGIONAL PLANNING EFFORTS LED BY THE NORTH DELTA REGIONAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT. EDA FUNDS NORTH DELTA REGIONAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT TO BRING TOGETHER THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS TO CREATE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP TO STRENGTHEN THE REGIONAL ECONOMY, SUPPORT PRIVATE CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND CREATE JOBS.