HOUMA, La. (AP) — Terrebonne Parish fishermen will benefit from upgrades to three marinas and get two safe harbors to shelter boats from storms.

The Courier reports (http://bit.ly/PPR90O ) the projects, which cost $1.3 million, were paid for using disaster-recovery grants from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The projects include $939,623 to improve boat launches in south Houma, Ashland and Texas Gulf Road in Bourg. The improvements include storm-hardening work to prevent damage from future hurricanes and renovations, like new bulkheads, parking upgrades and boat launches. All three boat launches are free to the public.

A second project spent $221,464 to create a safe harbor in the downtown Houma marina as a hurricane refuge.

A $165,513 grant was used to increase the safe-harbor capacity in the Bourg Company Canal.