FEMA wants homes in New Orleans lifted

NEW ORLEANS – A long-awaited government projection on this city’s flood danger recommends that thousands of homes and businesses in areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina be raised at least 3 feet, a requirement that clears the way for residents to decide how, or whether, to rebuild.

“This will enable people to get on with their lives,” said Donald Powell, the chief federal coordinator for Gulf Coast hurricane recovery.

The so-called flood advisories detail how high the water might rise in certain sections of the city during a once-in-100-years storm, and how well the levees would protect residents.

Property owners who ignore the guidelines risk losing out on government aid to rebuild and could miss an opportunity for lower flood insurance premiums. The flooding projections will also be key in planning the city’s overall reconstruction.

The government recommended that levee-protected homes damaged by flooding during Katrina be raised by 3 feet, but some residents may have to lift their homes higher, depending on the elevation and location of their property.

Federal aid is available to pay for raising houses, but many homeowners could still be stuck paying for a portion of the costs.

Powell declined to estimate how many homes would have to be raised. He described the recommendations as good news for homeowners, saying raising a house no more than 3 feet is “not that dramatic.”

Most of the houses affected would be structures erected on ground-level slabs in the past 50 years, after much of the city’s levee and canal systems were built.

In historic neighborhoods, many homes may not have to be raised at all, even if they flooded during Katrina, because they were built on foundations several feet above ground.