Flooding is an issue for a large number of residents in the Parish and will continue to affect the day to day decisions we make. Changes to insurance premiums and federal funding may have an impact on the lives of your constituents whether they are in the Special Flood Hazard Area or not.
The Louisiana Office of Community Development – Disaster Recovery has opened the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program survey for homeowners impacted by Hurricane Francine. Completing the survey is the critical first step for homeowners seeking program assistance.
The Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program is a federally funded program providing grants to eligible homeowners impacted by Hurricane Francine for:
The state directly contacts potentially eligible homeowners to encourage survey participation, but interested households can complete the survey and request assistance. To qualify for assistance, homeowners must meet the following criteria:
The Restore Louisiana Program website (restore.la.gov) includes a link to the survey and additional program information. We will continue to provide program updates as they become available.
Second Public Meeting for Hurricane Francine Recovery
Monday, March 24, 2025
The Proposed Master Action Plan in Response to Hurricane Francine is available for public comment from March 5 to April 4, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. The Louisiana Office of Community Development - Disaster Recovery is offering a second virtual public hearing opportunity during the 30-day public comment period for its proposed action plan.
Public Meeting #2:
Monday, March 24, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.
Zoom – Register here
This action plan primarily considers and addresses housing needs along with mitigation activities incorporated into its home repair program. While homeowner need is 85 percent of the overall need in the region, the state has decided to allocate 93 percent of its $117 million CDBG-DR funding to its Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Programs and additional funds for planning efforts that can support risk reduction strategies, including plans for infrastructure development.
Attend the meeting for more information or to make a comment or view the proposed action plan and submit comments here. The plan is attached here in three languages for interested residents.
The public comment period is now open and will close at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 4, 2025.
Grant Applications for Making Homes and Public Buildings Storm Ready – Open Now
Terrebonne Parish is taking applications to elevate, demolish and rebuild, or wind harden structures that have flooded repeatedly or are at risk of wind damage.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Program has announced $600M in grants available on a competitive national basis.
Flood Mitigation Assistance Program priorities include:
For more information or to receive an application packet, call 504-828-0030 or email mcook@bbecllc.com. Applications should be submitted by March 1, 2025.
Consultant and Parish staff are available to assist with documentation and direction.
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant Program has announced $750M in competitive grants. Eligible applications include projects designed to increase resilience and public safety, reduce injuries and loss of life, and reduce damage and destruction to property, critical services, facilities, and infrastructure (including natural systems) from a multitude of natural hazards, wind, extreme heat, and flooding.
The Parish intends to submit applications to:
The homeowner cost share for individual residences ranges from 0-25% of the total cost of the project including construction, management, and administration depending on the activity and flood history of the structure. Infrastructure projects require a 25% nonfederal cost share.
Applicants for elevation or demolition reconstruction must have been covered by a flood insurance policy on January 6, 2025, and will be required to carry flood insurance as long as the structure exists.
The grants are competitive nationwide and will not provide immediate housing. Reconstruction is not available in the V zone (highest flood risk area).
The Parish consultant will be sending mailers to known Severe Repetitive Loss, Repetitive Loss, and some NFIP policyholders living in socially vulnerable areas.
For questions regarding these programs, public or individual, call 985-873-6565.
FloodSafe Minute
Grant Applications for Elevating or Reconstructing Flooded Homes
OPEN NOW
Terrebonne Parish is taking applications to elevate or demolish and rebuild structures that were substantially damaged in Hurricane Francine or have flooded repeatedly. Due to Hurricane Francine, the Parish is eligible to participate in the Swift Current Grant Program jointly funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Mitigation Assistance funding and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program is intended to expedite a $40M flood risk reduction program in Louisiana on a competitive basis. Eligible activities include elevation, demolition and reconstruction, and project scoping.
The cost share for the programs for individual residences ranges from 0-25% of the total cost of the project including construction, management, and administration. This is the cost to the applicants needing the grant depending on their situation.
2. A Repetitive Loss (RL) structure may receive 90% federal funding. This includes structures:
3. Due to the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, structures in socially vulnerable communities may receive the 90% federal funding option. These structures must have a vulnerability average greater than .51 in the Socioeconomic Status, Household Characteristics, and Housing Type and Transportation categories searchable at atsdr.cdc.gov/place-health/php/svi/svi-interactive-map.html. The Parish or consultants will determine if any particular structure meets this criterion.
All applicants must have been covered by a flood insurance policy on November 16, 2024. If the structure is elevated or reconstructed, flood insurance coverage will be required as long as the structure exists regardless of occupancy or ownership.
All application forms should be submitted by the January 3rd, so Parish residents should call 985-873-6565, 504-828-0030, or email mcook@bbecllc.com for details or to get an application packet.
The grant is competitive statewide and will not provide immediate housing. Reconstruction is not available in the V zone (highest flood risk area).
The Parish consultant will be sending mailers to known SRL, RL, substantially damaged structures, and NFIP Policyholders living in socially vulnerable areas.
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Time to Get Prepared for Flooding and Funding
Terrebonne residents may have additional time to obtain flood insurance to be eligible for grants for between 75% and 100% of the cost to elevate or demolish and reconstruct a home or business. Structures that have flooded may be eligible for 90% to 100% of the costs through the FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program. Grant applications that are typically open in September have been delayed due to FEMA’s focus on the Congressional Budget timing and response to recent hurricanes.
If you have a home or business at risk of flooding, elevation or reconstruction grants may be available. We do not know when the yearly grant application from FEMA will open this year, but we do know that an active flood insurance policy will be required to be eligible to apply.
Severe Repetitive Loss properties can receive 100% and Repetitive Loss properties damaged by flood can receive 90%. 90% may also be available to structures in a low-income area. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) sponsors the grants, so they are only available to people who have an NFIP flood insurance policy. Call an insurance agent for insurance questions/a quote if you do not have flood insurance now.
When should I get a quote?
Now! The formal grant application period will open in September, and the policy is required. A flood insurance policy takes 30 days to be in effect. Get your flood insurance in place today!
How much flood insurance do I need?
A full house value policy is not needed to be eligible for the grant. While the Parish recommends full coverage, this is not always affordable. Discuss your coverage options with your agent based on the funds you have available for the current year and the following year if you have a pending application. It will take at least twelve months for an application to be approved. Any NFIP policy meets the eligibility requirement.
The time to prepare is now. Spread the word to get flood insurance and get above the flood!
Call your insurance agent now, or call the Parish at 985-873-6565 for grant information
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Visit the link to watch a video on how make a flood claim and the benefits of flood insurance.
youtube.com/watch?v=OeaI973gFjo
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IRS Offers Relief to Taxpayers in Louisiana
Original by WWNO - New Orleans Public Radio | By Athina Morris
The IRS is giving Louisiana taxpayers more time to file their tax returns and make payments as they recover from Hurricane Francine.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a declaration that allows the IRS to postpone certain tax filing and tax payment deadlines for those in the disaster area.
Penalties for failing to make payroll and excise tax deposits on or after September 10, and before September 25, 2024, will be abated as long as the deposits are made by September 25, 2024.
Taxpayers will have until February 3, 2025, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.
The IRS relief is available for all of Louisiana. Currently, individuals who reside or have a business anywhere in Louisiana can qualify for tax relief. A list of eligible localities is available on the disaster relief page on IRS.gov (irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations).
The February 3rd filing deadline applies to:
For the full report from the IRS with additional tax relief options, visit irs.gov/newsroom/irs-provides-relief-to-francine-victims-in-all-of-louisiana-various-deadlines-postponed-to-feb-3-2025.
The Restore LA Program run by the Office of Community Development has set a deadline of November 1, 2024, for grant applicants to close on their grant awards. The state agency will be sending out letters to all eligible applicants who have yet to execute final grant award agreements. The deadline letters will be sent to more than 4,700 applicants across Louisiana who have received an award determination but have not yet closed on their grant awards. Approximately 40 homeowners in Terrebonne will be receiving these letters and may call for support.
The text will include the following:
"You are receiving this notice because the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program has provided you with a grant award determination, but you have not taken the steps required to execute your final grant award agreement. The program has set a deadline of November 1, 2024, for all grant award agreements to be executed.
Please be aware that if your grant agreement is not accepted and executed by November 1, 2024, it will impact your eligibility to participate in the program. We urge you to take action on your grant award as soon as possible or reach out to your assigned case manager for assistance.”
The Restore LA program is urging all recipients to act on their awards as soon as possible if they still need assistance. They can reach out to their case manager whose contact information will be provided in the letter for questions and/or assistance with next steps. Failure to communicate with the state and take action prior to November 1, 2024, could remove applicants from eligibility to receive any Restore LA funding.
For questions or further information, applicants should not hesitate to contact the Restore LA staff at info@restore-la.org, 866-735-2001, or contact their specific case manager mentioned in the letter.
In addition to a plan for evacuation for hurricanes, homeowners in areas prone to flooding from rain may benefit from purchasing flood protection products to stop flood waters from entering the house or limiting the reach within the house. Dam Easy, Quick Dam, and New Pig are some of the companies that make products that help keep water from coming through doorways or directing water away from the structure. These products are floodwater barriers that fill with air or flood water, dry for reuse, and are available for doorways or to encircle the whole home. Some homes have low areas from enclosed patios and garages or directional flooding from street traffic.
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Flood Gate (patented)
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Flood Bags
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Water Force
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One or more of these products may protect your home. Most of these products can be reused. It may take months for the bags to dehydrate, and they will be heavy until the water evaporates. Some products are not intended for use in salt water, so research if your flood risk is from surge.
When using these products, consider that flood water can come through weep holes as well as the doorways. Costs vary by product and area size to be protected. When shopping, compare the cost of the products to the potential costs of a flood event.
Tiger Dams and Aqua Dams are other products on the market. These options are filled with water prior to the event and then drained for storage and reuse. They can be used in a saltwater environment.
Pictures of products and installation in the attachment.
The Parish does not recommend or endorse any particular product or company. This information is provided in response to residents requesting guidance to reduce flooding from rain events.
Need Help Understanding the New Flood Insurance Rates?
The Flood Insurance Advocate May Have Answers
Insurance policy holders have approached the Parish for help understanding the new flood insurance rates. The Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate may be able to help people determine if their policy premium is correct. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has been redesigned through a process called Risk Rating 2.0 (RR 2.0). The program has been promoted as fair in assessing the correct rate for each individual structure. In Louisiana that means people can see rate increases of 600% or more. Insurers are struggling to work within the new online system that determines the policy rates, and the system uses default data that may not be accurate. If you have received a flood insurance policy premium that does not seem right, and your insurance agent does not see a way to explain it or reduce the cost, the Flood Insurance Advocate’s Office has a new Customer Service Branch to review the information in your policy and determine if the RR 2.0 rating system has been appropriately applied. To request a review, go to fema.gov/flood-insurance/advocate and scroll to the bottom to Ask the Advocate. Type in your question, and someone will respond to go over the policy for errors, confirm the rate, and/or recommend changes that you would bring to your agent.
Don’t think that this is a problem for you? While premiums for existing policies are going up at the usual rates, few notice that there is a discount showing on the declaration page. The Full Risk Rate showing on the policy is the full rate that the NFIP will charge for that policy. By increasing the premium at a rate of 18% per year, few notice because the old NFIP regularly raised rates by 15% or more each year. The NFIP and the insurance industry are promoting the following graphic to explain the program (See attached. Shows that 23% of policy holders are anticipated to get some reduction in premium cost).
The real bottom line is that 77% of policyholders saw their policies stay the same or go up $120 or more per year and those policies will go up more than that every year until the Full Risk Rate is reached. Look at your policy and see if your premium (with the same coverage) is at the Full Risk Rate. The Full Risk Rate is how much RR 2.0 has determined the premium should be based on the risks they have projected. It may take ten years to get to that rate. If a policyholder lets the policy lapse, they will have to pay it in full to get back into the program. New houses can only buy a policy at the RR 2.0 rate. Homeowners with a federally backed mortgage that are newly mapped into a flood zone must have flood insurance and would pay full risk rates if they were not insured before the new zones were in place.
Why are the rates going up? The Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration that runs the NFIP has changed the way that the premiums are calculated stating that the reason is to make premiums fair by eliminating subsidies and basing rates on the specific property’s risk.
Changes:
Example: Property in Broadmoor with no history of flooding and no flood insurance claims
Old NFIP rate: C zone $519/year; new AE Zone ~$1,400/year (incremental increase over 5 years to get to full rate).
RR 2.0: Year 1 $613/year; year 12 $4,026 (increasing 18% per year until at the full risk rate of $4,026).
Background:
Though the Parish recently adopted new flood maps that set the base flood elevation that FEMA believes is safe from typical storms, the maps are not the key change to the new flood insurance rates. Flood insurance is necessary to protect our homes and businesses in Louisiana. Flooding can come from surge (like Katrina) or a hard rain (like Juan).
In 1968, after large storms convinced the private sector to abandon flood insurance policies, Congress created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The two primary goals were reducing future flood damage and protecting property owners. Policy holders entered into a partnership paying flood insurance premiums to the government run program that covered the claims most years, and Congress allocated funds when the program could not cover the damages. Congress borrows those funds from the Treasury, and the NFIP pays interest on those “loans.” Due to the large storms in the last decade, the payments and interest resulted in a debt of $20B. RR 2.0 was developed in part to make the NFIP self-sufficient by charging rates like a private for-profit insurance agency and to pay off the debt. The changes were made administratively which did not need approval from Congress. There has been no evidence provided to the Oversight Committees or the public proving that the methodologies to determine the risk and value of that risk are valid. The RR 2.0 program is under scrutiny from Congress and lawsuits have been filed.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
September 7th Terrebonne Parish adopted the new FEMA flood maps. These are the first new maps since 1985. Some portions of the Parish are no longer considered subject to wave action and therefore are eligible for federal programs they couldn’t use before. Other structures are newly mapped into the floodplain. If you don’t know if your house is in or out of the floodplain, visit http://maps.lsuagcenter.com/floodmaps/?FIPS=22109 and enter the address or call 873-6567 to ask the Floodplain Administrator for Terrebonne Parish.
Federal law requires that federally backed loans for structures in the floodplain are protected with a flood insurance policy worth at least the value of the loan. Banks and mortgage lenders are responsible for ensuring that those flood insurance policies are in place. Home and business owners may receive documentation from mortgage holders requesting the flood declaration page. If the owner provides proof of flood insurance the company will take no further action. If proof of flood insurance is not provided in the timeframe requested, the mortgage company will buy a policy for the structure and add the cost to the escrow account. This is called a “force placed” policy and it could be more expensive than the policy an owner might purchase.
Due to privacy laws, the National Flood Insurance Program will not tell the lender if a policy is already in place. The policy could be purchased by the lender as if there is no current flood coverage whether there is or not. This may be a higher Risk Rating 2.0 rate. Some residents saw a ~ 600% increase in the policy force placed v. the one they already had.
Take steps to protect your finances and structures.
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Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Terrebonne Parish was awarded $6.7M from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to replace homes damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Ida. The State and FEMA have prioritized this project and have approved approximately 38 structures in the application. Another 30 structures are still in review for reconstruction along with an elevation project for approximately 14 homeowners. The applications were submitted in July 2022 and no new requests can be funded through this award.
Anyone in this first group will be sent a notification of award once the Parish receives the official documentation. The Council and Finance will be presented with the formal approval documentation when it is provided by FEMA and GOHSEP. At that time, meetings will be held to educate homeowners and vendors prior to seeking final engineered plans and getting quotes for construction. This will be necessary to ensure that the new structures are built flood safe and wind resistant.
Rather than rebuilding to the same standards or even the new standards adopted at the state level, these structures will be built to the FortifiedTM Gold standard that will be more resilient to high winds. This includes safer roofs and straps from the roof to the foundation. These techniques have been proven to reduce damages from high winds, and can reduce wind insurance premiums. The Parish is seeking another grant to allow the replacement homes to be built to this higher wind standard. The structures will be built two (2) feet above the flood requirement for additional protection from flooding and some reduction in flood insurance premiums.
For more information on the FortifiedTM standards, visit fortifiedhome.org. To refer interested residents for future funding for a similar program should it become available, call 985-873-6565. Severe repetitive and repetitive loss property applications are being accepted through December 15th.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
FEMA has announced $800M in grants through the Flood Mitigation Assistance program. This program funds the Parish elevation and reconstruction programs for repetitive loss and severe repetitive loss structures and localized drainage projects.
Terrebonne Parish is taking applications to elevate or demolish and rebuild Severe Repetitive Loss and Repetitive Loss properties with 100% or 90% federal funding respectively. These are properties that have been repetitively flooded and identified by FEMA as prime candidates for risk reduction. Residential and business properties can be submitted.
For the second year some of the funding is from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This allows the Parish to help people in census tracts that are listed as socially vulnerable to apply for a 90% grant even if they do not meet the repetitive loss definition, but still are at risk of flooding. The FMA program has set $220M side for elevations or demolition reconstruction to build a new house and $520M is targeted for drainage projects.
To apply, applicants will have to prove that they currently have flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program, and that flood insurance was in effect on October 16th when the grant opportunity opened.
Please call the Parish consultants, HGA, at 985-333-8330 for application materials or answers to questions.
Details
FEMA may contribute up to 100 percent federal cost share for Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) properties within Individual Property Flood Mitigation Projects. An SRL property, as defined under 42 U.S.C. § 4104c(h)(3), is a structure that:
(a) has a flood insurance policy; and
(b) Has four or more flood claims exceeding $5,000, or
ii. For which at least two separate building claims payments have been made under on the flood policy with the total amount being over the market value of the insured structure.
FEMA may contribute up to 90 percent federal cost share for Repetitive Loss (RL) properties. An RL property, as defined under 42 U.S.C. § 4121(a)(7), is a structure covered by a contract for flood insurance made available under the NFIP that:
(a) Has incurred flood-related damage on two occasions, in which the cost of the repair, on the average, equaled or exceeded 25 percent of the market value of the structure at the time of each such flood event; and
(b) At the time of the second incidence of flood-related damage, the contract for flood insurance contains Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage.
All other structures would have to pay 25% of the costs unless they are in a socially vulnerable area. As a result of FMA funding made available under the IIJA, FEMA may contribute up to 90 percent federal cost share for qualifying FY23 funding priorities.
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Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
LA Citizens Policyholders Eligible for FORTIFIED Roof™ Grants
Second Opening
Available for New Construction or Reroofing
FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED SO REGISTER NOW
The second application period for Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP) grants opens at noon on Monday, October 16th for the first 1,000 applicants. The grants are again limited to policyholders of the Louisiana Citizens insurance company. Anyone not insured by Louisiana Citizens insurance company, is not eligible for the October 16th application period. We will post again if grant application periods open to all homeowners later this year.
Homeowners are required to create a profile in the LFHP system before applying for a grant and may do so by visiting ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes. Creating a profile does not guarantee you will receive a grant but will get you ready to log in and request a grant on the 16th. LFHP staff urge homeowners who are interested in the program to create a profile before the grant application period opens on October 16, as homeowners will need to log in to their profile before applying. Waiting until the 16th to create the profile and them apply will likely be too late. The first 500 applications for round one were filled very quickly.
The program will provide grants of up to $10,000 for homeowners to repair or replace their roofs to the FORTIFIED Roof™ standard of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). It pays for new work, not work that has been completed. Homeowners are only eligible for their primary residence and must verify they have a homestead exemption, a LA Citizens Policy, and flood insurance.
Please closely review the eligibility requirements listed at ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes. We expect all available grants to be awarded quickly, so eligible homeowners should attempt to apply as quickly as possible once the application window goes live at noon. There will be 1,000 grants awarded during this application period on a first-come, first-served basis. Homeowners who are not awarded a grant in the first application period should use the same profile information to attempt to apply for grants in future rounds.
The Louisiana Department of Insurance is available at 1-800-259-5300 or visiting www.ldi.la.gov.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
The Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program provides grant funding to eligible homeowners affected by Hurricane Ida for home repair, reconstruction, and reimbursement for repairs already completed. Council members may wish to forward this information to their constituents.
Many residents who filled out surveys for the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program have not completed their full applications and may be running out of time to get reimbursed for repairs already done. The State has extended its application deadline to Tuesday, Oct. 31. This new deadline applies to about 6,500 homeowners who have completed the initial survey and been invited by the state to apply, but have not yet submitted applications.
Due to federal recovery timelines, homeowners who do not submit applications by the Oct. 31 deadline to give the state time to do a damage assessment by the end of 2023 may not be reimbursed for repairs were completed prior to Dec. 31, 2023. The state will continue to take applications after this date for all programs, but reimbursements for work done prior to December 31 of this year may not be reimbursed.
"The state has extended the deadline to allow ample opportunity for homeowners to complete applications and potentially qualify for repair reimbursement," Pat Forbes, executive director of the Louisiana Office of Community Development, said. "I hope those who have been invited to complete an application but have not yet done so will take advantage of this opportunity. Our goal is to administer as much recovery assistance as possible to Louisiana homeowners, so we encourage them to act now."
Homeowners can submit their application in three different ways:
• Online: Log into their account at restore.la.gov.
• Phone: Call the program call center at 866.735.2001 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The program is run by the State Office of Community Development. The state will be reaching out to eligible applicants and will have staff at local libraries to accept documents and answer questions regarding all programs including repairs, home reconstruction, and mobile home replacement.
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m
Terrebonne Parish Library - East Houma Branch
778 Grand Caillou Rd, Houma, LA 70363 (opens in a new tab)
Tuesday, October 17
Friday, October 20
Tuesday, October 24
Friday, October 27
Tuesday, October 31
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m
Mathews Government Complex
4876 LA-1, Mathews, LA 70375 (opens in a new tab)
Wednesday, October 11
Wednesday, October 18
Monday, October 23
Wednesday, October 25
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m
Lafourche Parish Public Library: Thibodaux Branch
705 W 5th St #3154, Thibodaux, LA 70301 (opens in a new tab)
Thursday, October 12
Thursday, October 19
Thursday, October 26
The program has several online resources available to guide homeowners through the application process. Visit restore.la.gov/resources to learn more.
The Restore Louisiana program is a federally funded, state-administered program providing grant funding to homeowners affected by Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Ida and the May 2021 Severe Storms to help with home repair, reconstruction and/or reimbursement for completed repairs.
Since the program's launch in February 2022, more than 39,100 homeowners completed the survey, the first step in qualifying for assistance, and more than 23,700 have been invited to submit an application. As of Oct. 9, the program has offered more than $380 million in funding to 4,846 eligible homeowners.
The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Louisiana Office of Community Development. For more information, visit restore.la.gov.
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Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
LA Citizens Policyholders Eligible for FORTIFIED Roof™ Grants
Available for New Construction or Reroofing
FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED SO REGISTER NOW
The application period for Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP) grants opens at noon on Monday, October 2. While this grant in general is available to all Louisianans, this first group is limited to policyholders of the Louisiana Citizens insurance company. Anyone not insured by Louisiana Citizens insurance company, is not eligible for the October 2 application period. Grant application periods that are open to all homeowners will be announced later this year.
Homeowners are required to create a profile in the LFHP system before applying for a grant and may do so by visiting ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes. Creating a profile does not guarantee you will receive a grant. LFHP staff urge homeowners who are interested in the program to create a profile before the grant application period opens on October 2, as homeowners will need to log in to their profile before applying.
The program will provide grants of up to $10,000 for homeowners to repair or replace their roofs to the FORTIFIED Roof™ standard of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). It pays for new work, not work that has been completed. Homeowners are only eligible for their primary residence and must verify they have a homestead exemption, a LA Citizens Policy, and flood insurance.
Please closely review the eligibility requirements listed at ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes. We expect all available grants to be awarded quickly, so eligible homeowners should attempt to apply as quickly as possible once the application window goes live at noon. There will be 500 grants awarded during this application period on a first-come, first-served basis. Homeowners who are not awarded a grant in the first application period should use the same profile information to attempt to apply for grants in future rounds.
The Louisiana Department of Insurance is available at 1-800-259-5300 or visiting www.ldi.la.gov.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
This Tuesday is the Deadline
for applying for Restore LA funding.
August 1, 2023
Homeowners need to fill out the survey now for funding to Repair or Replace or Refunds for Homes Damaged in Hurricane IDA
August 1, Tuesday, is the last day for applicants to do the survey to access these funds. The program can build houses, replace trailers, pay for the elevation of those structures and elevators for newly elevated structures, pay for repairs or refund money expended on repairs already. The eligibility requirements have a lower FEMA funding requirement and higher insurance allowance than before. Pat Forbes from the Office of Community Development said that 60,000 people across the state are eligible, but haven’t applied. Over 6,500 people are eligible in Terrebonne that hadn’t applied as of last month. Anyone who previously thought that they didn’t meet the requirements would benefit from filling out the survey online or over the phone with state staff. See the announcement from the Governor below. Eligibility requirements allow for less FEMA damages reported and more insurance coverage, so more people can qualify for a new home or repair assistance. Remember as well that even if people already repaired with their own funds, they may be able to get reimbursed. The deadline for applying is August 1, 2023. Tuesday.
The brief program survey can be completed online at restore.la.gov using a smartphone, tablet or computer any time day or night, or by calling the program call center at 866.735.2001, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please push this through all social networks, your churches, associations, etc. to make sure your Parish is served. After the 1st, there will be no way to access these funds.
BATON ROUGE, La. – Gov. John Bel Edwards announced today that the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program is expanding the criteria for homeowners to qualify for assistance, lowering the FEMA-determined damage threshold from $5,000 to $3,000 and raising the allowable maximum of insurance received from $25,000 to $50,000. This update will allow the program to potentially serve more homeowners across the state affected by 2020-2021 disaster events.
“I’m thrilled that this expansion will open up the program to thousands of additional Louisiana homeowners in need of critical recovery assistance,” said Gov. Edwards. “We know how important this grant funding is to homeowners who have been severely impacted by 2020-21 disasters, and I’m urging homeowners to complete the survey and participate in the program.”
The Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program is a federally funded, state-administered recovery program providing grant assistance to homeowners across the state impacted by Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Ida and the May 2021 Severe Storms for home repair or reconstruction. The program offers various types of assistance, including licensed contractors to manage repairs and reconstruction, homeowner-managed construction, reimbursement for repairs already completed and manufactured home unit repair and/or replacement.
The brief program survey can be completed online at restore.la.gov using a smartphone, tablet or computer, or by calling the program call center at 866.735.2001, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The program also offers in-person assistance with completing the program survey and application at mobile locations throughout disaster-impacted areas. For a full schedule of events and locations, see restore.la.gov/events.
The program is currently phasing homeowners for assistance who meet the following criteria:
Rejected before? Reach out today to see if it has changed.
Deadline for applying is August 1, 2023
The program is funded by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Louisiana Office of Community Development. Louisiana’s total allocation is $3.1 billion for all eligible 2020-2021 disaster events. Since its launch in February 2022, the program has offered more than $208 million in grant awards to over 2,590 homeowners affected by 2020-21 disaster events.
As this is a federally funded program, the state must abide by federal timelines for funds to be allocated and spent. The program will announce deadlines as they approach, per federal guidelines. For more information about the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program, visit restore.la.gov.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Expanded Access to Restore LA funding to Repair or Replace Homes Damaged in Hurricane IDA
Deadline for applying is August 1, 2023
Terrebonne residents previously denied funding through the state run Restore LA program should call their caseworker again to see if they are now eligible. Others that thought that they didn’t meet the requirements would benefit from filling out the survey online or over the phone with state staff. See the announcement from the Governor below. Eligibility requirements allow for less FEMA damages reported and more insurance coverage, so more people can qualify for a new home or repair assistance. Remember as well that even if people already repaired with their own funds, they may be able to get reimbursed. Deadline for applying is August 1, 2023.
BATON ROUGE, La. – Gov. John Bel Edwards announced today that the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program is expanding the criteria for homeowners to qualify for assistance, lowering the FEMA-determined damage threshold from $5,000 to $3,000 and raising the allowable maximum of insurance received from $25,000 to $50,000. This update will allow the program to potentially serve more homeowners across the state affected by 2020-2021 disaster events.
“I’m thrilled that this expansion will open up the program to thousands of additional Louisiana homeowners in need of critical recovery assistance,” said Gov. Edwards. “We know how important this grant funding is to homeowners who have been severely impacted by 2020-21 disasters, and I’m urging homeowners to complete the survey and participate in the program.”
The Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program is a federally funded, state-administered recovery program providing grant assistance to homeowners across the state impacted by Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Ida and the May 2021 Severe Storms for home repair or reconstruction. The program offers various types of assistance, including licensed contractors to manage repairs and reconstruction, homeowner-managed construction, reimbursement for repairs already completed and manufactured home unit repair and/or replacement.
The brief program survey can be completed online at restore.la.gov using a smartphone, tablet or computer, or by calling the program call center at 866.735.2001, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The program also offers in-person assistance with completing the program survey and application at mobile locations throughout disaster-impacted areas. For a full schedule of events and locations, see restore.la.gov/events.
The program is currently phasing homeowners for assistance who meet the following criteria:
Rejected before? Thought you wouldn’t qualify? Reach out today to see if it has changed.
Deadline for applying is August 1, 2023
The program is funded by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Louisiana Office of Community Development. Louisiana’s total allocation is $3.1 billion for all eligible 2020-2021 disaster events. Since its launch in February 2022, the program has offered more than $208 million in grant awards to over 2,590 homeowners affected by 2020-21 disaster events.
As this is a federally funded program, the state must abide by federal timelines for funds to be allocated and spent. The program will announce deadlines as they approach, per federal guidelines. For more information about the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program, visit restore.la.gov
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
Time to Get Prepared for Flooding and Funding
Grant applications will open soon for Severe Repetitive Loss and Repetitive Loss properties damaged by flood. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) sponsors grants up to 100% of the cost to elevate demolish and rebuild a property. Because it is funded from the NFIP premiums, all grants go to people who have an NFIP flood insurance policy.
Call an insurance agent for insurance questions/a quote. The Parish consultants, Hunt, Guillot and Associates, will be reaching out with the grant paperwork and documentation and can be reached at 985-333-8330 for grant questions or to apply now.
When should I get a quote?
Now! The formal grant application period will open in September, and the policy is required. A flood insurance policy takes 30 days to be in effect. GET YOUR FLOOD INSURANCE IN PLACE TODAY!
What is new?
The new Risk Rating 2.0 approach that FEMA has put in place for the NFIP may have reduced the cost for the structure. Call any insurance agent and find out. If the quote you are provided seems to be excessive, you can reach out to the Flood Insurance Advocate and request a review of that premium quote. Insurance-Advocate@fema.dhs.gov. For more information go to https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance/advocate or www.floodsmart.gov.
How much flood insurance do I need?
A full house value policy is not needed to be eligible for the grant. Ownership of an NFIP policy for the structure at risk is all that is needed. While the Parish recommends full coverage, this is not always affordable. The policy after elevation should be reduced at least by eliminating a severe repetitive loss status.
Terrebonne competes nationally for 100% grant for elevation or demolition/reconstruction of the structure. Other repetitively flooded structures may be eligible for 90% of the total project cost. Structures not meeting the definitions below can apply for a grant of 75% coverage.
Hurricane Ida roared through the Parish with wind gusts that destroyed homes and businesses like never seen before in Terrebonne Parish. We can’t forget, however, that flooding has been and will remain an issue for Terrebonne Parish. Those who didn’t have wind coverage are struggling now to rebuild, and those without flood insurance could be in the same position when we next flood. The levee system is a tool to stop surge from the coast in many cases, and the Parish has invested in pump stations and retention systems. That can’t stop all flooding all the time. FEMA grants are available to help with elevation or demolition and reconstruction of the most severely damaged structures at up to 100% funding. They are for policy holders only.
Get your flood insurance now.
THE STRUCTURE NEEDS TO BE INSURED PRIOR TO August 30, 2023
The SRL group consists of any NFIP-insured residential property that has met at least 1 of the following paid flood loss criteria since 1978, regardless of ownership:
••4 or more separate claim payments of more than $5,000 each (including building and contents payments), 2 within a ten-year period; or
•• 2 or more separate claim payments (building payments only) where the total of the payments exceeds the current value of the property, 2 within a ten-year period.
If the grant is awarded, the program will pay 100% of the elevation total project cost up to $333K.
Repetitive Loss (RL) property for the purposes of the grant program is a property that has incurred flood-related damage on two occasions, in which the cost of the repair, on the average, equaled or exceeded 25% of the market value of the structure at the time of each such flood event – over 50% damaged in 2 events.
If the grant is awarded, the program will pay 90% of the elevation total project cost for a repetitive loss property up to $333K.
The time to prepare is now. Spread the work to get flood insurance, and get above the flood!
Call your insurance agent now, or call 985-333-8330 for grant information
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
FEMA is giving 90 more days for Hurricane Ida appeals for assistance or reconsideration. Some of our residents have been denied assistance by FEMA. Recovery Programs like the Restore LA program rely on the assessments by FEMA to determine eligibility or priority for their HUD CDBG funded programs. Citizens needing to appeal a FEMA determination of damage or eligibility to apply for FEMA assistance have until June 1, 2023.
The deadline has been extended to June 1, 2023 to appeal FEMA Denials!
According to South Louisiana Legal Services (not legal advice) these are some examples of issues that may be resolved through an appeal:
Storm survivors can file an appeal for any of these issues to explain or provide evidence to FEMA. This list is representative and not a complete list of all circumstances that allow appeals.
An appeal can be filed even if the deadlines have passed on the paperwork. With the appeal, give FEMA the reason why it is late.
All appeals must be in by June 1, 2023.**
People who need help with an appeal or other Hurricane Ida issue can call Southeast Louisiana Legal Services for advice at 1 (844) 244-7871
* Adapted from original post from Southeast Louisiana Legal Services
** In some cases, an appeal can be filed in Federal Court after this date, but SLLS advises caution and recommends consulting with an attorney to appeal FEMA’s decision higher.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Terrebonne Parish is inviting the general public to a meeting to review the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update for 2023 and provide comments, suggestions or concerns. The steering committee of stakeholders approved by the Council has directed the updates to the plans including the capture of critical facilities, the incorporation of the new floodmaps, and a review of the goals and objectives of the plan to meet current threats. Hazards have been updated to include extreme heat and cold, and the projects completed and proposed are being updated by category and specific projects. A virtual presentation will highlight the process including the projected risks, vulnerabilities and goals and objectives of proposed remedies to be discussed and prioritized.
The Parish is holding a virtual public meeting to review the planning process and the Draft report. For those who prefer to meet in person, a room is reserved at the Main Library branch. The presentation will be virtual, but staff will be present as well as hard copies of all the documents reviewed for the plan and the draft plan itself.
March 2, 2023 5:30-7:00
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86366396610
or
Main Branch - Public Library
151 Library Drive
The Draft plan is available for review at the HMPU website. The presentations and notes from previous meetings are posted there as well. Comments can be submitted at any time in the online form or emailing ramp@tpcg.org.
For further information, please contact the Parish Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning Division of the Department of Planning and Zoning at 985-873-6565.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
The Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program provides grant funding to eligible homeowners affected by Hurricane Ida for home repair, reconstruction, and reimbursement for repairs already completed. Council members may wish to forward this information to their constituents.
This is run by the State Office of Community Development. The state will be reaching out to eligible applicants and has had staff at libraries all month.
This is the last week for people to meet with Restore Louisiana staff onsite.
The program is offering on-site support in Houma for homeowners in the area who may need in-person assistance:
Office Location:
Fletcher Technical Community College
331 Dickson Road
Houma, LA 70353
Monday – Friday (January 30 to February 3)
10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Substantially damaged homes may be eligible for an elevation allowance. Homes with significant damage may be demolished and reconstructed. The program will allow people who own manufactured homes and doublewides to replace their homes with similarly sized manufactured homes.
Homeowners can start the application process online if they prefer. Homeowners are encouraged to complete the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program survey at www.restore.la.gov.
This brief survey can be completed on any tablet, smart phone, or computer at any time. This week, if they have questions people can go to Fletcher and ask questions or review documentation with OCD staff in person. Restore LA has a phone line also at 866-735-2001.
The survey is free and there is no deadline set for completing the survey.
To serve the most vulnerable populations most effectively in our state, the program’s phased approach, which is aligned with federal guidance, ensures that the most vulnerable populations are prioritized for assistance.
The program’s intent is to assist as many disaster-impacted homeowners as possible, while prioritizing assistance for the most vulnerable homeowners. The program is anticipated to have funding available prior to the FEMA hazard mitigation grant program, and this should be considered when people are weighing their options.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Mailer for Grant Applications for Elevating or Rebuilding Homes
Going out this weekend
FEMA is providing $800M for the Flood Mitigation Assistance program that funds the yearly Parish elevation and reconstruction programs for repetitive loss structures. The Parish through our consultants, Hunt, Guillot and Associates, are mailing invitations to apply to owners of Severe Repetitive Loss and Repetitive Loss structures this week.
Terrebonne Parish is taking applications to elevate or demolish and rebuild Severe Repetitive Loss and Repetitive Loss properties with 100% or 90% federal funding respectively. These are properties that have been repetitively flooded and identified by FEMA as prime candidates for risk reduction. Residential and business properties can be submitted.
Due to our previous and ongoing efforts to elevate or rebuild repetitive loss structures, there are only 266 structures eligible for funding based on their damages. Due to the requirement that these applicants have flood insurance prior to the grant opening, only 55 of those 266 homeowners are eligible to apply this year.
Anyone receiving calls about this program can forward the calls to 985-333-8330.
FEMA may contribute up to 100 percent federal cost share for Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) properties. An SRL property, as defined under 42 U.S.C. § 4104c(h)(3), is a structure that:
(a) Is covered under a contract for flood insurance made available under the NFIP; and
(b) Has incurred flood-related damage for which four or more separate claims payments (includes building and contents) have been made under flood insurance coverage with the amount of each such claim exceeding $5,000, and with the cumulative amount of such claims payments exceeding $20,000, or
ii. For which at least two separate claims payments (includes only building) have been made under such coverage, with the cumulative amount of such claims exceeding the market value of the insured structure.
FEMA may contribute up to 90 percent federal cost share for Repetitive Loss (RL) properties. An RL property, as defined under 42 U.S.C. § 4121(a)(7), is a structure covered by a contract for flood insurance made available under the NFIP that:
(a) Has incurred flood-related damage on two occasions, in which the cost of the repair, on the average, equaled or exceeded 25 percent of the market value of the structure at the time of each such flood event; and
(b) At the time of the second incidence of flood-related damage, the contract for flood insurance contains Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage.
All other structures would have to pay 25% of the costs unless they are in a socially vulnerable area. As a result of FMA funding made available under the IIJA, FEMA may contribute up to 90 percent federal cost share for qualifying FY22 funding priorities.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Terrebonne Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2022
Steering Committee Meeting
Public Invited
October 28, 2022 10-12:30
The Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government, at the Direction of Parish President Gordon E. Dove and with the support of the Parish Council, is updating the Hazard Mitigation Plan. The last plan update was completed in 2020. Since that time, the proposed new flood maps have been released for comment, and Hurricane Ida reminded us that wind is a serious threat along with flooding.
The purpose of the plan update is to identify risks and vulnerabilities in the parish, identify the problems that we face, update our goals and objectives, and propose projects to reduce our losses in the future.
During this session, the Steering Committee and anyone interested in participating will review the goals and objectives, and projects or programs that will reduce risk and increase resilience. These projects will be ranked and prioritized based on criteria including urgency, feasibility, and cost effectiveness.
The public is encouraged to attend this meeting. Please visit the Parish website for more information and resources. A copy of the current Hazard Mitigation Plan, past plans, studies, presentations from the previous meetings and a form to submit recommendations or comments are available on the website.
October 28, 2022
10:00-11:00
11:30-12:30
Terrebonne Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
Joseph L. Waitz Building
101 Government Street
Gray, LA 70359
Please direct questions about the meeting or process to Jennifer Gerbasi at jgerbasi@tpcg.org or 985-873-6565.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
FEMA has announced unprecedented investment in risk reduction available competitively across the country. Boosted by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program will distribute up to $2.295 billion up from $1B last year. The BRIC program awards communities 75% grants for applications that meet the FEMA priorities and support lifelines that provide public services. The Parish would have to pay 25% of the costs of any projects. FEMA priorities this year include natural hazard risk reduction activities that mitigate risk to public infrastructure and disadvantaged communities, nature-based solutions, climate resilience and adaptation projects, the adoption and enforcement of the latest building codes, and hazard mitigation projects that meet multiple program priorities.
FEMA seeks to fund capability- and capacity-building (C&CB) activities, hazard mitigation projects (construction) and management costs to defray the cost of government management of these projects. Last year, five Louisiana applications were selected for further review worth a total of $1.1 million for project scoping and management costs.
The Parish is currently holding planning meetings to gather information about recovery and future projects to formulate our comprehensive, recovery, and hazard mitigation plans. Anyone interested in providing input or learning about the process can attend the meeting September 21, 2022 at 6 PM at the Main Library, 151 Library Drive or provide input online at http://tpcg.org/idarecovery/.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Grant Applications for Elevating or Rebuilding Homes OPEN September 30
FEMA is also providing $800M for the Flood Mitigation Assistance program that funds the Parish elevation and reconstruction programs for repetitive loss structures.
Terrebonne Parish is taking applications to elevate or demolish and rebuild Severe Repetitive Loss and Repetitive Loss properties with 100% or 90% federal funding respectively. These are properties that have been repetitively flooded and identified by FEMA as prime candidates for risk reduction. Residential and business properties can be submitted.
For the first time, using funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), people in census tracts that are listed as socially vulnerable can receive the 90% federal funding if they do not meet the repetitive loss definition, but still are at risk of flooding and want to elevate or rebuild.
Applicants should supply a flood insurance policy with their application. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides these funds out of policy holder premiums, so any applicants must have a flood policy on the structure to successfully apply.
Please call the Parish Planning Department Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning Division at 985-873-6565 for application materials or answers to questions.
Details
FEMA may contribute up to 100 percent federal cost share for Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) properties within Individual Property Flood Mitigation Projects. An SRL property, as defined under 42 U.S.C. § 4104c(h)(3), is a structure that:
(a) Is covered under a contract for flood insurance made available under the NFIP; and
(b) Has incurred flood-related damage for which four or more separate claims payments (includes building and contents) have been made under flood insurance coverage with the amount of each such claim exceeding $5,000, and with the cumulative amount of such claims payments exceeding $20,000, or
ii. For which at least two separate claims payments (includes only building) have been made under such coverage, with the cumulative amount of such claims exceeding the market value of the insured structure.
FEMA may contribute up to 90 percent federal cost share for Repetitive Loss (RL) properties. An RL property, as defined under 42 U.S.C. § 4121(a)(7), is a structure covered by a contract for flood insurance made available under the NFIP that:
(a) Has incurred flood-related damage on two occasions, in which the cost of the repair, on the average, equaled or exceeded 25 percent of the market value of the structure at the time of each such flood event; and
(b) At the time of the second incidence of flood-related damage, the contract for flood insurance contains Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage.
All other structures would have to pay 25% of the costs unless they are in a socially vulnerable area. As a result of FMA funding made available under the IIJA, FEMA may contribute up to 90 percent federal cost share for qualifying FY22 funding priorities.
***
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Public Notice
Meeting Announcements
Terrebonne Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2023
Public Meeting
Terrebonne Parish is seeking input from the public on the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. The parish has secured funding to review the past plan adopted in 2020 and revise it to meet today’s needs. Hurricane Ida caused unprecedented wind damage and our focus may shift from flood safety as the major priority to building techniques that make our homes, businesses and schools safer.
This Wednesday August 31, 2022
Office of Emergency Preparedness
101 Government Street
Gray, Louisiana 70359
10-12:30
August 31, 2022, the Steering Committee will meet to review the revised risk and vulnerability assessments prepared with the new maps that are under public review at this time. We will review the damages from Hurricane Ida, see projections from the future, and identify which areas of the parish or critical functions both public and private need to be included in the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, and which hazards should be prioritized. This meeting is open to the general public. Other meetings to be announced will be held in the evening for the public as well.
The plan is required by FEMA to be updated every five years. The public is encouraged to participate in any of the meetings. After the meeting, all the materials and notes will be available at http://www.tpcg.org/index.php?f=flooding&p=hmpu.
The Steering Committee met in the spring to review the existing plan and discuss the approach to reducing risk in the Parish now that the first lift of the Morganza to the Gulf is complete. The full process will also investigate the Risk Assessment; Vulnerability Assessment, Assessing the Problems; Setting Goals; Reviewing Possible Activities; and Drafting the Action Plan.
The public is encouraged to attend these meetings and provide input and perspective to the planning process. Please visit the Parish website for more information and resources. A copy of the current Hazard Mitigation Plan and all other materials that will be made available on the website http://www.tpcg.org/index.php?f=flooding&p=hmpu will also be available in print at 8026 Main Street for public review.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Get Flood Insurance Today. Time to Get Prepared for Flooding and Funding
Next week is the Louisiana Flood Awareness Week, but this week is a critical time for people who live in severe repetitive loss or repetitive loss structures. FEMA will be offering applications for elevation or reconstruction of repetitive loss structures, but only if they are insured on the day that the application opens. The grant will open September 30th, but an insurance policy takes 30 days to be in effect. GET YOUR FLOOD INSURANCE IN PLACE TODAY!
Severe Repetitive Loss properties are eligible to compete nationally for 100% grant for elevation or demolition/reconstruction of the structure. Other repetitively flooded structures may be eligible for 90% of the total project cost.
THE STRUCTURE NEEDS TO BE INSURED PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER 1, 2022
Flood insurance has a 30-day waiting period before it is finalized, so no one interested in the grants should wait to pay the premium. A quote or even paid policy doesn’t count. Applicants will need to have a policy IN EFFECT by September 30th.
The funding for these grants come from the National Flood Insurance Program premiums, so the structure needs to be covered by an NFIP flood insurance policy.
Anyone who has an SRL or RL property is advised to get flood insurance AND contact the Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning Office at 985-873-6565 to get a letter of interest and start gathering information for an application.
The SRL group consists of any NFIP-insured residential property that has met at least 1 of the following paid flood loss criteria since 1978, regardless of ownership:
••4 or more separate claim payments of more than $5,000 each (including building and contents payments), 2 within a ten-year period; or
•• 2 or more separate claim payments (building payments only) where the total of the payments exceeds the current value of the property, 2 within a ten-year period.
If the grant is awarded, the program will pay 100% of the elevation total project cost up to $333K.
Repetitive Loss (RL) property for the purposes of the grant program is a property that has incurred flood-related damage on two occasions, in which the cost of the repair, on the average, equaled or exceeded 25% of the market value of the structure at the time of each such flood event – over 50% damaged in 2 events.
If the grant is awarded, the program will pay 90% of the elevation total project cost for a repetitive loss property up to $333K.
The time to prepare is now. Spread the work to get flood insurance and get above the flood!
Call your insurance agent now, or call 873-6565 for grant information
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Louisiana Homeowners may get funding to Fortify their Roofs
August 3, 2022
The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. “We are going to offer grant money to every homeowner in the state to fortify their roof.”
Published 4:55 pm Tuesday, August 2, 2022
In 2023, many Louisiana homeowners will be granted funding to fortify their home’s roofs through the new Louisiana Fortify Homes Program.
Ron Camarota of the Louisiana Department of Insurance Office of Consumer Advocacy spoke on this at the Housing Summit for Southwest Louisiana on July 13.
According to Camarota, the institution of this bill began during the last legislative session. “We put wording into the law that allowed insurance companies to apply for a deduction if people fortify their home.”
This legislation falls under Act 30, which was approved last year. According to the LDI’s Office of Property and Casualty Policy Form Filing Handbook, the act “provides for discounts and insurance rate reductions for residential and commercial buildings built to, or retrofitted to, reduce the threat of loss due to windstorms.” Act 30 was considered effective Aug. 1, 2021.
“The discounts can be pretty healthy,” Camarota said. “One I looked at will offer a 50 percent discount on the wind tail portion of the premium of your policy if you fortify your roof.”
He noted the cost of fortifying one’s roof could range from $600 to $2,500. The LDI made it a mission to aid policyholders in qualifying for these discounts. “Fortifying a roof is not a horrible cost, and the investment is worth it,” he said. “It’s been calculated that the value of the home goes up between 7, 8, 9 percent when you’re fortified.”
“I think it is important, particularly in this day and age, to be sensitive to the trying economic conditions that are out there,” said Fred Malik, managing director of FORTIFIED. “Well that is relatively inexpensive … people are often faced with making difficult choices of ‘what do I spend this $1,000 on.’ ”
Grant programs similar to the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program have been successful in states such as Alabama and Mississippi, according to Malik.
During the regular session, Act 554 was introduced. This act provides for the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. “We are going to offer grant money to every homeowner in the state to fortify their roof,” Camarota said. “We are doing, in this program, only the roof, which is probably the biggest portion.”
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon is proud to introduce this program to Louisiana policy owners. “The program will mitigate future storm damage and reduce residential property insurance costs.”
According to the LDI’s Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2023 to 2024, the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program “allows financial grants to retrofit insurable property within a homestead exemption to resist loss and meet or exceed the fortified home standards of the Insurance Institute for Business.”
Gov. John Bel Edwards officially signed Act 554 June 17, and was spearheaded by Louisiana State Representative and House Insurance Chair Mike Huval.
Donelon said he appreciates Huval’s leadership in passing Act 554.
“The Louisiana Department of Insurance’s Catastrophe Reform Package was a major success for our state’s policyholders,” said Donelon. “We passed several bills this session that will strengthen our market and improve the claims process following future hurricanes.”
The program will be administered under the LDI’s Office of Policy, Innovation and Research once funding is allocated. Camarota stated they are still ironing out details, and that public hearings regarding the legislation are still necessary. These have yet to be scheduled.
The legislation will be effective Jan. 1, 2023.
Camarota explained that the standards for proper fortification were adopted from the Insurance Business Home Safety organization (IBHS). “These are not building codes, this is the standard, which we support and have adopted.”
The IBHS houses their standards in the program FORTIFIED. The is a program that was created to promote exceptional building practices to better protect your home.
Online: fortifiedhome.org. https://www.dontgoof.org/states/louisiana
For the full article, visit https://www.americanpress.com/2022/08/02/a-new-state-program-will-help-homeowners-receive-funding-to-make-their-homes-roof-stronger-to-better-withstand-storms/
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Action Plan for the HUD CDBG Funding for Hurricane Ida available for Public Comment
Virtual Meeting Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 3 pm
The Louisiana Action Plan, Substantial Amendment No. 1 (Allocation of Funds for Hurricane Ida) is available for review and comment. The Louisiana Office of Community Development kicked off the public comment this week with a meeting for six parishes held in Lockport. At least five (5) more meetings are planned. OCD staff participated in the Multi-agency Recovery meeting held at the Dumas auditorium in Houma briefing residents on the Restore LA program and walking people through the application process. Fourteen (14) agencies provided programs and advice to residents serving approximately 90 households.
The next meeting about the Action Plan Amendment adding the funding for Hurricane Ida will be Tuesday June 21st. The State will host a Virtual meeting at 3 pm CST. To register, visit restore.la.gov/action-plan. Click the link above to go directly to the plan.
The presentation will cover the programs, priorities, and proposed budget. This includes the Restore Louisiana program for repairs and reconstruction currently proposed for $380 million. Residents can apply online at https://restore.la.gov/ or call 866-735-2001.
The Action Plan also includes the use of Community Development Block Grant Funds being used to provide both homeowner and Parish Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Public Assistance Program match requirements. Parishes are anticipated to get allocations to use towards infrastructure projects to achieve recovery efforts.
To learn more, register at restore.la.gov/action-plan.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
Tomorrow afternoon the Parish is hosting a Mitigation Recovery Meeting Open House from 1-7 at the Dumas Auditorium. Our residents need help rebuilding their homes. The Parish has options for elevation and reconstruction. Other agencies have repair, elevated reconstruction, and demolition. Disaster Recovery Specialists will be on hand for people who need assistance accessing agency or nonprofit supports. Please see the attached press release and feel free to send to any of your constituents. There will be a short presentation at 1:15, 3:15 and 5:15 to announce the upcoming planning process inviting citizen participation and introducing the programs and agencies available in the room to answer questions or provide applications for programs.
If you have questions or concerns, please send a note to ramp@tpcg.org.
See attached for the full press release. Below is a sample.
June 15, 2022
Dumas Auditorium
301 West Tunnel Boulevard
1-7 PM
Terrebonne Parish, state and Federal agencies are taking steps to provide funding for Terrebonne to recover from Hurricane Ida damages and to plan for future events. The Parish is taking applications to elevate or demolish and rebuild structures that were substantially damaged in Hurricane Ida. As part of the effort, the Parish has invited other agencies and nonprofit organizations to meet with residents about other programs available to predominantly low to moderate income residents. Community wide planning opportunities will be announced.
US Department of Agriculture – Grants for elderly over 62 years old and low interest home loans for eligible low to moderate income residents. 318-473-7630. 1 – 4:30 only.
Workforce Group Disaster Case Management Specialists can enroll people for longterm case management.
FEMA staff will be available to answer Individual Assistance questions.
The Louisiana Office of Community Development will have staff on hand to provide RestoreLA Repair or Reconstruction Program Eligibility Screening. Applicants can call 866-735-2001 or go to https://restore.la.gov/ to apply from home.
Thomson SC – Private Property Demolition Project 888-727-0228
Rostan Solutions, LLC has been hired by the Parish to guide residents through an application process for elevation and reconstruction with FEMA funding. Resources including examples of house plans, budgets, and application forms available.
Call Rostan Solutions -985-235-0067 to apply now. Come to the meeting with questions.
***
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
Terrebonne Parish is taking applications to elevate or demolish and rebuild structures that were substantially damaged in Hurricane Ida. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has launched a new Flood Mitigation Assistance program called “Swift Current” that is intended to expedite a $40M program in Louisiana on a competitive basis. The program is focused on structures in socially vulnerable communities. The program can provide elevation of structures that need to come into compliance or demolition of a structure and rebuilding. People need to apply soon. All application forms should be submitted by the second week of May. Act now!
Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government is holding three meetings to present options for funding to help homeowners in Terrebonne with substantially damaged homes to either elevate or demolish and rebuild their houses. Rostan Solutions, LLC has been hired by the Parish to present the basics of each program and to guide residents through an application process. Resources including examples of house plans, budgets, and application forms for partner agencies will be on hand.
Call Rostan Solutions at 985-235-0067 with questions about the meeting or the program.
Applications for primary residences that are substantially damaged and in lower income areas will be preferred over other structures for the Swift Current program. Experts will be on hand to talk about elevating or rebuilding homes for this program or the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program that is also open for applications.
All meetings are 4-7 pm
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Tuesday May 3 Smithridge Gym 4924 Bayouside Drive Chauvin, LA 70344 |
Wednesday May 4 Dularge Gym 1330 Bayou Dularge Road Theriot, LA 70397
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Thursday May 5 Houma Municipal Auditorium 880 Verrett Street Houma, LA 70360
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After the damages from Hurricane Ida, demolition and rebuilding may be a better option than elevating a house. Those who own damaged houses, but do not have enough insurance to demolish and rebuild their property on their own may want to apply for this grant. The grant is competitive statewide and will not provide immediate housing. As a longterm strategy the program can pay up to $150,000 to demolish and rebuild a house to approximately the same size plus additional funding for engineering, management, and relocation expenses. This project type is not available in the V zone (highest flood risk area).
The Parish President continues to support these applications and the Parish is working with partner agencies to help provide homeowners with grants or loans for any funding they need to provide as a match. Applicants may be required to pay 10% - 25% of the total project cost. Funding can supplement SBA loans, and be matched with SBA, USDA, or HUD funding.
Call 985-235-0067 for more information on elevation or reconstruction (not repair).
Call 888-727-0228 if the structure is unsafe and needs to be demolished.
For further information about other programs that may be available, please contact the Parish Recovery Assistance Division at 985-873-6565 to get a letter of interest and start the application process. The Parish tries to match new applicants with any funding available.
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Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
I got a Notice of Substantial Damage – What Now?
Stop, Think, Ask - Recover.
Homeowners are receiving notices that their structures have been determined to be “substantially damaged.” What this means is that a structure is:
The Floodplain Administrator has reviewed the substantial damage estimations from the inspectors and is informing those structure owners that have a substantially damaged structure and of their responsibilities and options through these letters. This information is intended to inform property owners to help them decide whether to, or how to, repair or replace a damaged dwelling. A second page of each letter has contacts for grants for elevation, reconstruction or demolition.
Stop!
A substantially damaged structure cannot be repaired until the structure is brought into compliance with the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance substantial damage provisions. These are required for the Parish to have flood policies through the National Flood Insurance Program.
What do I need to do?
If a building in the regulatory floodplain is determined by the local official to be substantially damaged, it must be brought into compliance with local floodplain management regulations prior to or at the same time as it is repaired.
Owners may decide to:
Substantial damage applies to a structure in the regulatory floodplain (determined by FEMA) for which the total cost of repairs is 50 percent or more of the structure’s market value before the disaster occurred, regardless of the cause of damage. Terrebonne Parish has a cumulative substantial damage standard, so this is added to all damages repaired or improvements to the structure in the past 10 years.
For example, if a structure’s market value before the damage was $200,000 and repairs are estimated to cost $120,000, that structure is substantially damaged. Land value is not included.
Think!
Anyone receiving the letters should pause any recovery efforts to consider whether they would be better off elevating, demolishing, relocating or rebuilding from the ground up. The Parish and state and federal agencies are developing and launching programs to assist with funding for as many people as can be funded with the available programs. Anyone who needs help should reach out! Reach out for knowledge, and reach out for help. The programs are not necessarily quick, but we will be stronger and safer for making the right decisions and building back better. Be sure that what you are doing is the best choice personally or professionally and meets the law.
Ask!
All property owners should check with the permits department at 873-6567 to determine which permits for repairs are required before beginning any repair work. A substantially damaged structure can’t be permitted for repairs unless there are provisions for compliance with the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance. This means that the structure must be or be brought to or above the FEMA base flood elevation. Again, this is damage from wind, fire, or any cause and not only flood.
Can I submit an appeal?
Any structure owner can appeal the decision by providing documentation that proves one or more of the criteria have not been met. For example:
Recover!
Implement the plan for your recovery timely providing all the information necessary for programs. Put your funding aside to save for any required homeowner matches for grant programs. As soon as funding is in place, move forward without delay to avoid future damage and get a new normal.
Open Funding Programs:
Demolition – Public Assistance – 888-727-0228
Elevation or Reconstruction through the Parish FEMA funded program– (consultants) Rostan Solutions 985-235-0067
If the storm damage from Hurricane Ida was from flood, property owners who have a flood insurance policy through the NFIP and a substantially damaged building (from flooding) in a SFHA may be able to use additional funds – known as Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) – from their flood insurance policy (up to $30,000) to help defray the costs of elevating, relocating, demolishing a structure, or flood proofing a non-residential structure.
For more information on ICC, contact your insurance agent.
You can email FloodSmart@dhs.gov to request information in a language other than English.
Information also is available at www.fema.gov and www.floodsmart.gov.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Governor Edwards Announces $17.68M FEMA Hazard Mitigation Funds Approved for Terrebonne Parish -Match as low as 10%
The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness has announced that Terrebonne Parish will receive $17.68 million to start the recovery from Hurricane Ida. The funding is from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and part of the first $100M available to Louisiana related to Hurricane Zeta, the severe winter weather event in 2021, the May 2021 flooding event and Hurricane Ida. At least one more allocation is anticipated to be awarded to Terrebonne Parish for Hurricane Ida. The Parish will receive another $823,000 of HMGP funding as a result of Hurricane Zeta.
At least $10M of this funding is earmarked for demolition and reconstruction or elevation of substantially damaged structures. The match requirement has been lowered to 10% by FEMA through legislation recently signed into law by the President. Parish President Gordon Dove said that “the Parish will strategically use any and all funds available to improve the safety and economic future of Terrebonne Parish. This recovery starts with our residents having safe homes.” While the funding will not be able to rebuild everyone who is damaged, residents of Terrebonne Parish can call the number below to apply to demolish and reconstruct their house or elevate their structure for those who need to elevate due to the level of damages. Remember that the substantially damaged structures (in the special flood hazard area and over 50% damaged by any cause) need to be at the current base flood elevation like a new house for the Parish to be compliant with the National Flood Insurance Program and continue to have it available to the residents. Letters will be going out soon to those who have been determined to be substantially damaged. It is advised that anyone with significant damages in the floodplain should check with the permits office prior to doing permanent repairs.
The Parish has received survey responses and calls from Parish residents requesting assistance in rebuilding, and has hired Rostan, LLC to assist in preparing the applications for individuals. Those in need of reconstruction or elevation should call (985) 235-0067 for more information. Any documentation already provided to the parish has been forwarded to these partners.
The remaining funds can be expended as needed on localized drainage improvements, safe room construction, wind retrofit of structures, emergency power for critical facilities, replacing damaged buildings and infrastructure, and other recovery efforts. These are being valued and prioritized as quickly as possible to make use of available funding and get to construction as soon as possible.
This funding is in addition to millions of dollars that will be received under the FEMA Public Assistance program that pays for the rebuilding of public facilities damaged by the storm.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
Insurance policy holders for wind and rain damage should make claims as soon as they can if they haven’t already provided proofs of loss to their agent. For repairing the structure, the Insurance Commissioner has confirmed that replacement cost value coverage policy holders have a year or more from the data of the storm to fix the damage and claim the depreciation from the insurer.
See below for the Insurance Commissioner’s message. Emphasis added.
Commissioner Donelon Urges Those Filing Claims
for Ida Damage to Check for Upcoming Deadlines
Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon is offering guidance to policyholders who filed claims for damage due to Hurricane Ida. As you work through the recovery process, keep in mind that your agent or insurance company may require you to meet certain deadlines to successfully settle your claim.
“First and foremost, I urge policyholders to ask their agent if their homeowners insurance policy includes replacement cost value coverage,” said Commissioner Donelon. “Speaking with your agent can provide clarity about how a claim will be paid and if you need to do anything else to ensure the process is as smooth as possible.”
Replacement cost value coverage reimburses policyholders for the cost of repairing a structure or replacing an item without deducting for depreciation. For example, if a 10-year-old roof was damaged, the insurer will ultimately pay the full cost to replace the roof rather than deducting for a decade of wear and tear.
Many insurers initially pay policyholders the actual cash value, or depreciated value, of an item or building component, then reimburse policyholders for the full amount when the item is repaired or replaced. Policies often require policyholders to replace the item and submit documentation to receive reimbursement.
Policyholders who have a replacement cost policy on their home have one year from the date of the loss or the date a claim payment was received, whichever is later, to file the additional documentation needed to receive full reimbursement (La R.S. 22:1264(B)). Some policies may have a longer deadline period, so policyholders should contact their agent for more information. Policyholders can submit receipts for replaced items that were previously reimbursed at actual cash value to collect the full replacement cost if the policy allows for it.
Policyholders with questions about upcoming deadlines, including for replacement cost benefits should contact their insurer as soon as possible. If you have concerns about how a specific claim is being handled by your insurer, contact the LDI at 1-800-259-5300.
About the Louisiana Department of Insurance: The Louisiana Department of Insurance works to improve competition in the state’s insurance market while assisting individuals and businesses with the information and resources they need to be informed consumers of insurance. As a regulator, the LDI enforces the laws that provide a fair and stable marketplace and makes certain that insurers comply with the laws in place to protect policyholders. You can contact the LDI by calling 1-800-259-5300 or visiting www.ldi.la.gov.
Visit https://www.ldi.la.gov/onlineservices/ConsumerComplaintForm to submit a complaint online or to report misinformation.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Deadline February 25th to Get Proofs of Loss to Insurers
If Terrebonne residents haven’t made a claim to their insurance company, they should do it now to be sure that the claim (a proof of loss) is timely. The Parish was not formally open to the public until September 13th, 2021, so the final deadline for Terrebonne Parish may actually be March 12th, 2022. Check with your insurer if you miss the 25th deadline identified by the Insurance Commissioner.
For anyone who couldn’t get through to their company or were told there wasn’t enough damage, it might be good to bring proof of damage to their agent now and start the process just in case there is more damage identified later, or if code enforcement requirements come up that the policy might cover.
The news release from the Insurance Commissioner is below.
February 4, 2022
Commissioner Donelon Urges Policyholders to File Ida Proof of Loss Before February Deadline
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon is reminding policyholders about the upcoming deadline to file proof of loss for damage due to Hurricane Ida. Most residential and commercial property insurance policies include a 180-day deadline to file proof of loss. The 180-day period begins on the date of the insured event, and Feb. 25 is the 180th day after Hurricane Ida made landfall. Policyholders with questions about their proof of loss deadline should contact their insurer as soon as possible.
“Submitting detailed proof of loss is a key component of the claims process following a disaster,” said Commissioner Donelon. “I encourage policyholders to make sure they provide their insurer with the documentation needed to process their claim in a timely manner and accelerate their road to recovery.”
Louisiana law states that when a catastrophic event occurs and civil officials declare a state of disaster or emergency pursuant to law, property owners within the declaration area shall have not have less than 180 days from the date of the event to submit proof of loss to their insurer.
Policyholders who need to file proof of loss should review their policy and contact their agent, insurer or adjuster for guidance on the exact deadline per their policy. If policyholders were denied access to their properties by civil authorities during a state of disaster or emergency, they might have a few additional days to file.
Agents, insurers and adjusters can also advise consumers about what documentation will fulfill a policyholder’s proof of loss obligation. Sufficient proof of loss could include the initial damage claim, as well as photos, contractor estimates, receipts for temporary repairs and any other documentation required by the company.
Anyone with questions about the claims filing process or concerns about how their specific claim is being handled by their insurer can contact the LDI at 1-800-259-5300.
About the Louisiana Department of Insurance: The Louisiana Department of Insurance works to improve competition in the state’s insurance market while assisting individuals and businesses with the information and resources they need to be informed consumers of insurance. As a regulator, the LDI enforces the laws that provide a fair and stable marketplace and makes certain that insurers comply with the laws in place to protect policyholders. You can contact the LDI by calling 1-800-259-5300 or visiting www.ldi.la.gov.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Public Assistance Deadline Approaching
The deadline for all Requests for Public Assistance is Friday, February 11. Public Assistance is a FEMA program that is available to help repair after a presidentially declared disaster.
Private Nonprofit organizations (PNPs) that own or operate facilities that provide certain services of a governmental nature. Qualifying PNPs (501c3, for example) are those that provide the following services:
For a PNP operated facility to be eligible, the PNP must demonstrate the facility provides a critical service or provides a non-critical, but essential government service and is open to the general public. A facility that provides a critical service is defined as one used for an educational, utility, emergency, or medical purpose.
Nonprofits that provide a public service to the general public can complete a Request for Public Assistance to notify FEMA of the intent to pursue funding. Any entity that is eligible for funding can submit a Request for Public Assistance form through FEMA at LouisianaPA.com. Go to the page and click on the Request for Public Assistance and register the organization’s intention to submit for Public Assistance funding to repair after the storm.
For more information about assistance to nonprofits, visit https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public or https://gohsep.la.gov/GRANTS-INDEX/DISASTER-RELATED-GRANTS/FEMA-PA. the FEMA press release about the upcoming deadline is attached.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Wait Up! You may not need to rush repairs to get your depreciation.
Many of us have received notifications from the insurance companies that all work needs to be done in 180 days or we will lose our depreciation. Is that true? Every person with damages from Hurricane Ida needs to review their policy or ask their agent if they have an Actual Cash Value (ACV) policy or Replacement Cost Coverage. Louisiana Law protects homeowners by requiring all recoverable depreciation to be paid for up to one year from the event or when the policy holder received insurance payment. An excerpt of the law is below, and attached is a bulletin by the Insurance Commissioner in 2021 regarding insurance protections related to a declared emergency like Hurricane Ida.
Policy holders with Replacement Cost Coverage should know that they have a year to do work and collect depreciation. Look in the attachment also for other rights, such as the timeline to submit proofs of loss and restrictions on the insurance company canceling or not renewing policies.
The Commissioner may put out a similar bulletin regarding Hurricane Ida soon and the staff is available to answer questions. If you feel that you are not being treated fairly by your insurance company, call 225-342-5900 for advice or visit https://www.ldi.la.gov/onlineservices/ConsumerComplaintForm to submit a complaint.
La R.S.22. §1264. Presumption of coverage
B. For losses that arose due to a catastrophic event for which a state of disaster or emergency was declared pursuant to law by civil officials, for those areas within the declaration, any policyholder with replacement cost provisions shall be entitled to complete repairs to the property within one year from the date of the loss or the issuance of applicable insurance proceeds, whichever is later. Adherence to this provision shall entitle the policyholder with a replacement cost provision to receive full value of the covered damage that has been repaired, without reduction due to depreciation.
C. The provisions of this Section shall be applicable to all new policies and renewal policies delivered in the state of Louisiana after April 18, 2006.
Acts 2006, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 23, §1; Redesignated from R.S. 22:682 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Damage from Hurricane Ida?
A homeowner’s insurance policy may pay for code compliance.
Considering the recent wind-related damage to so many structures, people are rebuilding with whatever funding is available. Homeowners Insurance policies often have a section that pays for code compliance if it is due to damage that is covered under the policy. Homeowner’s insurance may cover code compliance for electric, gas, or to elevate a substantially damaged structure if there is building code coverage in the policy. Prior to doing repairs, people with this coverage in their homeowner’s policy may benefit from asking a code enforcement officer to identify whether the current damage requires any changes to the structure to be compliant with any building codes or safety regulations.
Read on, and then call your agent to see if you have “Building Code Insurance” or “Ordinance or Law coverage.” It may be part of the standard package the agency sells, and there could be funding available for necessary work.
What Is Building Code Insurance?
Published: August 2017 by Allstate
Building code coverage is a protection you may be able to add onto a homeowners insurance policy to help cover the additional cost of repairing your home up to code if it’s damaged by a covered peril.
While dwelling coverage, which helps protect your home’s physical structure, is part of a standard homeowners insurance policy, building code coverage is typically optional. But if your home isn't up to the latest building codes, you may want to consider adding building code coverage to your policy.
Suppose, for instance, your home is damaged by a fire. A typical homeowners insurance policy provides dwelling coverage to help repair your home’s existing structure to its original state. But if your home isn’t up to current building codes when it is damaged, you’ll likely have to pay the difference out of pocket if you’re required to repair or rebuild your home to the latest building codes, the Insurance Information Institute (III) says.
That’s where building code coverage may help. If you purchase this optional coverage, it may help pay the additional cost to repair damage to your home up to today’s building codes, as set by local building codes, the III says. You’ll likely find building codes are in place for aspects of your home such as electrical wiring, plumbing and insulation. When repairs are done, a building inspector will typically check to ensure the work is up to code.
DOES BUILDING CODE COVERAGE PAY FOR HOME RENOVATIONS?
You’ll typically find that you aren’t required to bring your home up to code routinely. However, if you undertake a home improvement project, you’ll likely be required to complete the work to the latest building codes.
Building code coverage typically does not help with the cost of routine maintenance or home improvement projects. That means it will not cover the cost if you decide to upgrade your plumbing or install more insulation. However, building code coverage may help pay for those expenses if the work is necessary as the result of damage from a peril covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy.
BUILDING CODE COVERAGE LIMITS
You can typically choose the amount of building code coverage you add to your policy. It’s important to keep in mind that your policy will only pay up to the maximum amount of coverage you purchase. This amount is often referred to as a coverage limit. Your agent can tell you what coverage amounts are available to you.
Your agent can explain your options for protecting your home’s structure - and infrastructure - so you can choose the coverage you need to help you repair your home to meet current codes if it’s damaged by a covered peril.
Contact your agent and see if you have this coverage. See the FloodSafe Minute from April 2017 for another minute on this topic Use Homeowner’s Insurance to Elevate? Monday April 10, 2017 12:07 pm.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
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FEMA Urges People to Know Codes Before Rebuilding Adapted from Original Post Friday October 24, 2008 for FloodSafe Minute 1/11/2022 |
Summary
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) advises Louisiana residents who must repair damaged homes or businesses to be aware of the special requirements for buildings that have been substantially damaged or will be substantially improved.
Individual property owners need to work closely with their local community officials to ensure compliance with floodplain requirements to maintain access to federally backed flood insurance policies for residents and business owners parishwide. Noncompliant activities will require the Parish to enforce the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, including requiring a structure to be elevated, relocated or demolished. For more information, call 985-873-6567. The Parish offices are temporarily relocated, so phone communication is preferred.
Background
Both substantially damaged and substantially improved structures must be brought into compliance with National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) regulations.
The NFIP, a Federal program enabling property owners to purchase flood insurance, is based on an agreement between local communities and the Federal government. Under this agreement, new construction and substantially improved or substantially damaged structures located in a flood hazard area will be mitigated ( for example: elevated, relocated or demolished) to reduce future flood risks. In return, the Federal government will continue to make flood insurance available within the community as a financial protection against flood losses. As a result of this agreement, if a home or business is located in the 100-year floodplain (a special flood hazard area where there is a 1 percent chance of flooding in any given year), the community’s floodplain management staff may be required to ensure homeowners an business owners are aware of the requirements associated with repairs and reconstruction activities, which is based on the level of damages or improvements over the last 10 years.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Q. What happens if a substantially damaged or substantially improved structure is not built in compliance with community floodplain management regulations? ·
A. If a structure is substantially damaged or substantially improved and is not in compliance with the community’s floodplain management regulations, insurance rates and premiums will be significantly higher for that structure and the local government will be required to enforce the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance in order to continue to make flood insurance available.
For substantially damaged structures that have their lowest floors several feet or more below the base flood elevation, the annual premium could increase to thousands of dollars. Structures that are not built in compliance jeopardize the community by putting them in violation of their flood damage prevention ordinance, which could result in the community being put on probation or suspended from the NFIP.
Q. What is a substantially damaged building?
A. A substantially damaged building is a structure that has been so badly damaged that to repair it will require an expenditure of 50 percent or more of the building’s pre-damaged market value. For example, if the market value of a home is $100,000 but it sustains damage and the damage will cost $50,000 or more to repair, that home is considered substantially damaged.
Q. What is a substantially improved building?
A. A substantially improved building is one that will be reconstructed, rehabilitated, will receive an addition, or otherwise be improved and the improvement cost equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the start of construction. This term includes structures which have incurred substantial damage. Sometimes a building sustains less than 50 percent damage; however, the owner decides not only to repair the building, but also to improve it. The result can be a substantially improved building. For example, if repairing the building costs 30 percent of the structure’s market value and adding another room costs 20 percent or more of the structure’s market value, then taken together, the repairs and improvement equal 50 percent of the structure’s market value so that the owner now has a substantially improved building.
Q. Who determines whether a structure has been substantially damaged?
A. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the community permit official to ensure that market value estimates are reasonably accurate and that the cost estimate reasonably reflects the actual costs to fully repair the damage and make any other improvements to the structure. However, the local permit official may require the permit applicant or owner of the building to supply the necessary information, such as appraisals, construction cost estimates, etc.
Q. How much accuracy is needed in determining whether a structure is substantially damaged?
A. The closer the improvement or damage appears to approach 50 percent of the market value of the structure, the greater the precision needed in determining if it is substantial. For example, if the damage suffered appears to be minor (40 percent or less) compared to the market value of the structure, more approximate methods for determining substantial improvement may be acceptable. The same is true if the damage suffered is extensive (60 percent or more). However, if the damage suffered or improvement to be made is suspected to be between 40 percent and 60 percent of the structure’s market value, then detailed, itemized estimates for the cost of repair and definitive estimates of market value should be used.
Reference
Chapter 9: Flood Damage Prevention, Section 9-2(b). Any person violating any provision of this chapter shall be so notified by certified return receipt mail of the specific violation and given no less than five (5) days and no more than thirty (30) days to either remove the unlawful structure, if it is prohibited, or cause it to conform to the provisions of this chapter, if it is an authorized structure or repair-related activity.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
“Substantial Damage” – What Does It Mean?
Inspectors have been collecting data from around the parish, and in the next several weeks, more inspectors will be in the community taking pictures of damaged structures to determine if they are substantially damaged. Substantial damage applies to a structure in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) – or a1-percent-annual-chance floodplain – for which the total cost of repairs is 50 percent or more of the structure’s market value before the disaster occurred, regardless of the cause of damage. The Floodplain Administrator will review the substantial damage estimations from the inspectors and inform those structure owners that have a substantially damaged structure of their options. That information helps property owners decide whether to, or how to, repair or replace a damaged dwelling.
If a building in a floodplain is determined by the local official to be substantially damaged, it must be brought into compliance with local floodplain management regulations.
Owners may decide to:
Substantial damage applies to a structure in the regulatory floodplain determined by FEMA for which the total cost of repairs is 50 percent or more of the structure’s market value before the disaster occurred, regardless of the cause of damage. Terrebonne Parish has a cumulative substantial damage standard, so this is added to all damages repaired or improvements to the structure in the past 10 years.
For example, if a structure’s market value before the damage was $200,000 and repairs are estimated to cost $120,000, that structure is substantially damaged. Land value is excluded from the determination.
All property owners should check with the permits department at 873-6567 to determine which permits for repairs are required before beginning any repair work. A substantially damaged structure can’t be permitted for repairs unless there are provisions for compliance with the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance. This means that the structure must be or be brought to or above the FEMA base flood elevation. Again, this is damage from wind, fire, or any cause and not only flood.
The decision about a structure being “substantially damaged” is made at the local government level based on the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance required by FEMA in order to have flood insurance available through the National Flood Insurance Program. In Terrebonne Parish, the Floodplain Administrator makes the final determination and advises the structure owner.
Exception: Structures built after the 2006 adoption of the current flood plain maps will not be inspected as these structures will all meet the base flood elevation.
If the storm damage from Hurricane Ida was from flood, property owners who have a flood insurance policy through the NFIP and a substantially damaged building (from flooding) in a SFHA may be able to use additional funds – known as Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) – from their flood insurance policy (up to $30,000) to help defray the costs of elevating, relocating, demolishing a structure, or flood proofing a non-residential structure.
For more information on ICC, contact your insurance agent.
Desire Line, LLC and Parish employees will be making inspections through the Parish, taking pictures and notes. Do not be alarmed. They are there at the request of the Parish to comply with Title 44 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Section (§) 60.3. Call 985-873-6567 with any questions or concerns.
You can email FloodSmart@dhs.gov to request information in a language other than English.
Information also is available at www.fema.gov and www.floodsmart.gov.
Adapted from FEMA document R4 DR-4338-GA FS 008 October 6, 2017
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
Parish Releases Survey to Rebuild Terrebonne Strong
The Terrebonne Parish Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning (RAMP) division is seeking public feedback to guide requests for funding to help rebuild local buildings and structures that were damaged by Hurricane Ida. Recovery activities include but are not limited to elevation, reconstruction, demolition, and wind hardening. To get recovery activities in place as quickly as possible, the Parish requests that Terrebonne residents fill out the online survey to indicate all recovery options that may assist in the recovery and rebuilding process. The survey form is available online at tpcg.org/rampsurvey/. Please encourage all Parish residents with recovery needs to visit the site and let us know what they need.
Each person should select all rebuilding options that they are interested in and encourage their friends and family to do the same. Availability for the options listed will depend on demand, eligibility, property specific issues, and funding. The survey is not an application for funding and completion of the form will not secure a grant. The purpose of this survey is to help the Parish determine need for rebuilding options and to provide a way to contact those who requested such help should funding become available.
The survey requires an accurate phone number or email address to ensure that RAMP staff members can contact people if applications for funding become available.
Insurance information is helpful but not required. The assistance programs will generally have some level of cost share and insurance may help with that investment.
In addition to filling out the survey, people can contact RAMP at 985-873-6565 to ask questions or get a letter of interest and start the application process. The Parish tries to match new applicants with any funding available.
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Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) can assist with repairs or replacement of houses whether after a disaster or not. Terrebonne Parish residents are eligible to apply for USDA funding directly through the USDA. Final determination of eligibility is made by Rural Development upon receipt of a complete application. Call the USDA at 985-748-8751 or the state office at 318-473-7630 for more information. They can tell you if you have the right application before you start.
Funding can be provided as a loan or a grant based the activity, income and age. A person with limited income over 62 years old may be eligible for a $7,500 grant that is not required to be paid back. Those elders may be eligible for additional funds at very low interest rates as well like other borrowers getting up to $14,999.
If you need to rebuild, the USDA Loan is a mortgage option available to some rural and suburban homebuyers. USDA Home Loans are issued by qualified lenders and guaranteed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA Home Loans are particularly favorable to those living in rural or low-income areas. USDA Loans offer $0 money down, lenient eligibility requirements and competitive interest rates - due to the loan being guaranteed by the USDA.
USDA has more than 40 loan, grant, and technical assistance programs available to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. Many of these programs can also help community efforts related to disaster preparedness, resiliency, and recovery.
USDA programs support a variety of needs including: • Transitional Housing and Home Repair and • Rural Business Planning and Recovery.
Below are links to explain the programs available, an online video and handbook. Applications for repairs and home loans are attached. Call the USDA at 985-748-8751 or the state office at 318-473-7630 for more information.
To qualify for the SFH Home Repair program, your household’s adjusted annual income must be within our established income limit based on household size and location. The income limits can be found online at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/sites/default/files/RD-DirectLimitMap.pdf.
During your loan approval process, you will be instructed to watch the Agency’s online applicant orientation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxobzC24FfU&feature=youtu.be.
For more information, go to HB-1-3550, Direct Single Family Housing Loans and Grants – Field Office Handbook: https://www.rd.usda.gov/resources/directives/handbooks.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, more than ever before, home and business owners will be rebuilding their homes, businesses and lives. As we rebuild in Terrebonne, consider building back better with a Fortified roof or building. FORTIFIED Home is a voluntary set of construction standards designed to strengthen homes against specific types of severe weather such as tornadoes, hailstorms, and hurricanes. Each of the three levels of FORTIFIED protection requires multiple layers of defenses to prevent a cascade of damage. However, no home is 100% “hurricane-proof,” “tornado-proof” or even “stormproof.” Damages can be significantly reduced. The checklist that follows provides a guide to repairing and documenting roofs that have a FORTIFIED designation. The FORTIFIED Roof™ Standard Details can be found at www.fortifiedhome.org/standards. The reroofing checklist is attached, but more information is available on the site. These are voluntary actions above and beyond the standard code requirements, and therefore will not be enforced by Parish inspectors. Contractor documentation or evaluator certification will be needed to ensure that the work is done correctly and can be certified.
Fortified Benefits
Safety
Fortified is a nationally recognized building method based on more than 20 years of scientific research and real-world testing by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). Your roof provides the first line of defense against the elements and an IBHS FORTIFIED Roof™ provides better protection against severe weather.
Insurance Savings
Having a Fortified roof or structure can save anywhere from 15% to over 50% on homeowner’s insurance. See the attachment for discounts available from insurance providers in Louisiana.
Contractors
Get a Fortified certified builder from this link Find a Provider (force.com) or provide a licensed roofer with the attached checklist so that they can see what is involved. A list of the currently Fortified evaluators, roofers and builders serving Louisiana is attached. Roofers that want to get certified can take the class online at FORTIFIED Wise University.
Evaluators
To earn the insurance benefits of a Fortified roof or building, documentation needs to prove the method of construction. Evaluators can inspect it at various points and provide that documentation and certify the construction. The inspection process is required to be certified, whether done by an evaluator or the builder themselves. It can't be done after the roof is finished.
While lab and real-world experience has proven FORTIFIED to be remarkably effective at limiting storm damage, we do expect some homes with FORTIFIED designations to experience limited damage during extreme weather.
In selecting any vendor, check for a license from the Louisiana State Contractors Licensing Board and request proof of insurance.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Many people are rebuilding their homes and businesses after Hurricane Ida. In this process, it may be possible to build back better than before. For some, that will be updating a roof to the current wind rating rather than that in place in the 1970s. The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc., FLASH, has put together a list of improvements that may be available as we rebuild. The attached has some details on the following options to build a stronger home through retrofits for flood or wind safety. The FEMA Wind Retrofit Guide for Residential Buildings is also attached as a resource.
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Parish Permit and Code Enforcement personnel can provide advice regarding the current codes and any permits or inspections that are available or required at 873-6567.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Terrebonne Parish is taking applications to elevate or demolish and rebuild Severe Repetitive Loss and Repetitive Loss properties. These are properties that have been repetitively flooded and identified by FEMA as prime candidates for risk reduction. Residential and business properties can be submitted. Call Mr. Blair Purpera from Rostan Solutions if interested to get more information.
After the damages from Hurricane Ida, demolition and rebuilding may be a better option than elevating a house. Those who own already flood damaged houses, but do not have enough insurance to demolish and rebuild their property on their own may want to apply for this grant. The grant is competitive nationwide, will not provide immediate housing, and takes over a year to be approved if awarded. As a longterm strategy, however, the program can pay up to $150,000 to demolish and rebuild a house to approximately the same size plus additional funding for engineering, management, and relocation expenses. This project type is not available in the V zone (highest flood risk area).
Applicants should be prepared to supply a flood insurance policy with the application. Federal funds cover up to 100% of the cost of elevation depending on the level of damage already received. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides these funds out of policy holder premiums, so any applicants must have an NFIP policy on the structure to successfully apply.
The Parish President continues to support these applications and other grant request for planning, construction and engineering to reduce our flood risk.
The current application is being managed by Rostan Solutions. They are available to provide further information and application materials at 225-286-7544 and mitigation@rostan.com.
The application period opens September 30th, and ends in November. It can take weeks to get quotes or other documents necessary, particularly with our Parish still reeling from the hurricanes. Anyone who is interested should call now. Only those on the repetitive loss list created by FEMA are eligible to apply for these particular grants. The funding for these projects is offered by the FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant programs.
For further information about other programs that may be available, please contact the Parish Recovery Assistance Division at 985-873-6565 to get a letter of interest and start the application process. The Parish tries to match new applicants with any funding available.
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Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
To decrease the chance of a coverage lapse caused by disruptions from Hurricane Ida, the NFIP has extended the 30-day grace period for receipt of the renewal payment after a policy’s expiration date. This extension applies to policies with expiration dates beginning July 27, 2021, through and including September 26, 2021. The NFIP insurer must receive the appropriate renewal premium for these policies within 90 days of the expiration date to avoid a lapse in coverage.
For example, for a policy insuring a property with a policy expiration date of August 15, 2021, the NFIP insurer must receive the renewal premium payment on or before November 12, 2021, to avoid a lapse in coverage.
If a policy expires after an expiration date of September 27, 2021 or later, the normal 30-day grace period for receipt of the renewal premium will apply.
About 200 claims have been made by Terrebonne Parish policy holders for Hurricane Ida, and none are registered from Hurricane Nicolas. Maintaining flood insurance is paying off for these residents and assisting in rebuilding their homes, businesses and lives.
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Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
New Tool Estimates the New Rates for Flood Insurance Under Risk Rating 2.0
October 1st, businesses renewing their flood insurance policies will be rated using the new Risk Rating 2.0. The Association of Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) used datasets from FEMA’s NFIP policyholder information to create the easy-to-use data visualization tool. The data are broken down across four categories — ranging from a decrease in premiums to an increase of $20/month or more. A color-coded scale indicates the percentage of policyholders in each category. The excerpts for Terrebonne Parish are below. Terrebonne Parish will see a mixed bag of decreases and increases with most increases being under $120/year, but some zip codes will see 7-10% of policies increase at least $240/year. It is estimated that 276 policies will see immediate decreases.
The state-level interactive map at no.floods.org/rr2changes breaks down projected premium changes for each state and territory. There is also an interactive map by zip code for existing single-family home policies at no.floods.org/rr2sfh. The interactive map also includes corresponding pie charts and data tables that provide policy and percentage change breakdowns.
“These interactive maps will help local leaders and government officials understand how the new and more equitable flood insurance rates will be distributed,” said Laura Lightbody, director of The Pew Charitable Trusts’ flood-prepared communities initiative, which provided support for development of the maps. "In many cases, people have been overpaying for flood insurance; these maps show us that almost 1.2 million policyholders will see decreases very soon.”
Terrebonne Parish Policy Estimates from ASFPM Tool using FEMA Data by Zipcode
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Zip: 70360, LA |
4,324 SFH Policies |
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Policies Decreased: |
29 |
0.7% |
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Policies Incr. $0-$10: |
4,166 |
96.3% |
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Policies Incr. $10-$20: |
79 |
1.8% |
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Policies Incr. $20+: |
50 |
1.2% |
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Zip: 70364, LA |
3,335 SFH Policies |
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Policies Decreased: |
51 |
1.5% |
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Policies Incr. $0-$10: |
2,830 |
84.9% |
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Policies Incr. $10-$20: |
289 |
8.7% |
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Policies Incr. $20+: |
165 |
4.9% |
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Zip: 70363, LA |
2,312 SFH Policies |
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Policies Decreased: |
136 |
5.9% |
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Policies Incr. $0-$10: |
1,793 |
77.6% |
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Policies Incr. $10-$20: |
246 |
10.6% |
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Policies Incr. $20+: |
137 |
5.9% |
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Zip: 70359, LA |
758 SFH Policies |
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Policies Decreased: |
21 |
2.8% |
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Policies Incr. $0-$10: |
624 |
82.3% |
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Policies Incr. $10-$20: |
32 |
4.2% |
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Policies Incr. $20+: |
81 |
10.7% |
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Zip: 70395, LA |
455 SFH Policies |
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Policies Decreased: |
35 |
7.7% |
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Policies Incr. $0-$10: |
400 |
87.9% |
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Policies Incr. $10-$20: |
6 |
1.3% |
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Policies Incr. $20+: |
14 |
3.1% |
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Zip: 70397, LA |
234 SFH Policies |
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Policies Decreased: |
4 |
1.7% |
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Policies Incr. $0-$10: |
178 |
76.1% |
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Policies Incr. $10-$20: |
34 |
14.5% |
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Policies Incr. $20+: |
18 |
7.7% |
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Zip: 70356, LA |
155 SFH Policies |
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Policies Decreased: |
0 |
0.0% |
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Policies Incr. $0-$10: |
147 |
94.8% |
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Policies Incr. $10-$20: |
2 |
1.3% |
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Policies Incr. $20+: |
6 |
3.9% |
The data compares a snapshot of policyholder premiums from May 31, 2020 with Risk Rating 2.0 premiums, applying statutory increase limits (currently capped at 18%). The comparison does not attempt to estimate premium increases that might have occurred without the new Risk Rating 2.0 pricing methodology. These data sets are illustrative and not intended for use by insurance professionals and individuals to set premiums.
This is the program’s first pricing approach update in more than 40 years though premiums have been increasing steadily.
Individual policyholders should contact their insurance agent for a personalized quote. Even though the homeowner policies won’t be rated by RR 2.0 until April of 2022, if the rate is lower with RR 2.0 than using the old system, they can choose the RR 2.0 premium after October 1 rather than waiting until next year.
| Zip: 70377, LA | 420 SFH Policies | |||
| Policies Decreased: | 22 | 5.2% | ||
| Policies Incr. $0-$10: | 234 | 55.7% | ||
| Policies Incr. $10-$20: | 100 | 23.8% | ||
| Policies Incr. $20+: | 64 |
15.2% |
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Zip: 70353, LA |
186 SFH Policies | |||
| Policies Decreased: | 10 | 5.4% | ||
| Policies Incr. $0-$10: | 154 | 82.8% | ||
| Policies Incr. $10-$20: | 13 | 7.0% | ||
| Policies Incr. $20+: | 9 | 4.8% | ||
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Zip: 70344, LA |
794 SFH Policies | |||
| Policies Decreased: | 101 | 12.7% | ||
| Policies Incr. $0-$10: | 391 | 49.2% | ||
| Policies Incr. $10-$20: | 198 | 24.9% | ||
| Policies Incr. $20+: | 104 | 13.1% | ||
Private Nonprofits, Including Houses of Worship, May Apply for FEMA Public Assistance Grants
Adapted From
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Release Date |
Release Number |
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October 27, 2020 |
NR 025 |
Private nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship and other faith-based organizations, may be eligible to apply for federal assistance to help recover from damage suffered from a presidentially declared disaster such as a hurricane.
Public Assistance is a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) program that can provide funding to states, local governments, tribes, and nonprofits to reimburse expenses preparing for an event, or rebuilding and cleaning up afterwards. The support provided is different for every storm based on the amount of damage and the needs of those involved. If your organization provides services of a non-critical, essential governmental FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Program, you may be able to recoup some of your expenses and the cost of repairs. Keep good track of all expenditures with receipts, the purpose of the purchase, and where the goods or services were provided to meet a need. Both preparation and rebuilding may be eligible.
Organizations that may be eligible are:
Those that provide critical services, such as hospitals and other medical treatment facilities; utilities, including water, sewer and electrical systems; private schools that provide elementary or secondary education or institutions of higher education.
Houses of worship can learn more about applying for PA from their local or county emergency management agency. Organizations that provide services of a non-critical, essential governmental nature must apply for a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in order to be considered for PA grants. Grants for some repair or replacement costs may be available to those organizations that SBA loans do not cover. Houses of worship may apply to FEMA’s PA program while they are awaiting response from SBA.
For more information about PA for houses of worship, visit Public Assistance Fact Sheet: Private Nonprofit Houses of Worship . Program Details: https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public
A FEMA fact sheet is attached for more information.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
As we get further into the storm season, we sometimes get comfortable that an evacuation is not likely, but there is still the threat of a hurricane or tropical storm that may affect the Parish. Are you prepared to have access to all of your important financial information if you need to leave, or if your house or business is damaged? FEMA has developed some checklists to help people organize their important papers to be ready for any event. This is available in several languages, all of the full versions are attached here.
Four Simple Steps to Financial Preparedness
An Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK)
2. Review: Review your insurance policies and financial paperwork to be sure that they are still accurate and current.
3. Safeguard: Store paper and electronic copies of all files in safe locations.
4. Update: Revisit and update your EFFAK regularly. Updates are especially important when significant changes in your life occur.
A Note from the President about Flood Insurance
Gordon E. Dove, Parish President
June 22, 2021
The storm season is underway after an exceptional year, and we are hoping that 2021 will be a relief with good health and good weather. Our first tropical storm passed as a good practice to remind us of the need to prepare. Are you ready for the hurricane season? Preparedness includes being ready to take care of yourself if evacuated, and protecting your property with shutters, elevation if necessary, and flood insurance regardless of where you are in the Parish. I appreciate the community’s continued faith in me and my administration to provide a safe and healthy environment in Terrebonne Parish. However, every resident is a part of that effort, and I encourage each and every household and business to get flood insurance to protect the resilience of this community. Let’s prepare together. Call 877-336-2627 or your local agent for more information or email FloodSmart@FEMA.DHS.gov.
Terrebonne Parish prepares all year for the hurricane season, traditionally between June and November. For this year, the Parish has implemented additional pump stations, completed levees, and other drainage improvements. Due to the COVID response, the Parish will receive funding from the American Rescue Plan which will be spent to meet the urgent needs of the Parish including flood safety. As Parish President, I predicted last year that we would not only survive, but thrive, and we did. The Parish pulled together and supported local businesses maintaining our sales taxes, repairing older and building new homes, putting your government in a good position to continue investing in safety and stability.
As the storm season continues, I wanted to remind you to take precautions for the storms or evacuations to protect your lives and property. Every household should have supplies to last for a week including medicine, water, food, and items for family members with special needs and pets. Every household is wise to have all papers in a waterproof and safe spot and a list handy of anything that would need to be taken with the family on an evacuation.
Flood insurance is also an important part of a recovery plan for homes and businesses. Families and small businesses that are properly insured are much more likely to fully recuperate financially from an event with some stability than those that struggle and face uncertainty without those resources.
Flood insurance is for everyone. Residential structures outside the flood zone can still flood. Renters can prepare as well for as little as $100 per year for a contents policy. Can you afford to replace all of your furniture and personal belongings without insurance?
In an effort to make flood insurance affordable, the Parish continues to work to support discounts for every policy in the floodplain through Community Rating System participation. Currently there is a 15% discount in the Special Flood Hazard Area. The new Risk 2.0 flood insurance rating that will be in effect next year and may include premium reductions.
Don’t forget to protect your small businesses, too. Nationally, 40% of small businesses never reopen after a flood event. If you can’t afford the insurance offered with your current building conditions, call the Parish’s Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning Division at 873-6565 to see if there is a risk reduction option for you that might lower that cost.
Original Attached.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
Terrebonne Parish is excited to kick off the Terrebonne Parish Voluntary Homeowner Relocation for Permanent Residents Outside the Morganza. This program offers residents with primary residences outside the levee system a way to sell their homes and move to comparable housing outside the high flood risk area. This is a voluntary program that can provide not only fair market value for these properties, but incentives that provide enough funding to purchase comparable housing in the Parish, but outside the special flood hazard area. The LA SAFE program has dedicated approximately $2.8M to support these buyouts.
The Parish has identified approximately a dozen structures outside the Morganza to the Gulf levee system proposed footprint that meet the other criteria for the program. The structures are primary residences and have been the primary residence of the owners since April 2018 when the program was first approved by the state Office of Community Development and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Residents will be receiving a letter asking if they are interested in the program or learning more. Only residents that meet the qualifications above are eligible for the program. The Parish released the attached press release and posting the same information on TPTV in case there are other residents that meet the qualifications and were missed in our research through the Assessor’s Database. Anyone in who thinks that they are eligible and may be interested in participating should call the RAMP office in the Planning Department at 985-873-6565.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
HOW TO BUILD A SAFE ROOM IN A HOME OR COMMUNITY
Anyone Building Now May Benefit
Public service buildings may be eligible for grants.
Adapted from Release of updated FEMA P-361
FEMA is pleased to announce the release of its updated fourth edition of FEMA P-361 (2021), Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms. This 2021 edition of FEMA P-361 updates and refines criteria for how to design and construct a safe room that provides near-absolute protection from wind and wind-borne debris for occupants.
Safe room designers should feel confident when they implement FEMA’s guidance for their projects. FEMA-approved safe rooms provide near-absolute protection from deadly winds and wind-borne debris associated with extreme-wind events.
Additionally, if the safe room is being constructed with FEMA grant funds, adherence to the FEMA Funding Criteria described in Part B of this publication is required. Public service facilities in particular are encouraged to incorporate a safe room in new or renovated buildings. The grant will cover a percentage of the difference in cost between minimum code requirements, and the Safe Room standards for a portion of the structure. FEMA Funding Criteria are the requirements of FEMA P-361 that are more stringent than ICC 500.
Contact the Planning Department RAMP Division for more information about adding a safe room to a new or existing structure. 985-873-6565 or jgerbasi@tpcg.org
FEMA P-361 can be downloaded from FEMA’s Safe Room Resources webpage. Also, on this webpage are two updated fact sheets, which bring guidance in alignment with the updated FEMA P-361:
To learn more about FEMA’s Safe Room Program, click here.
To learn more about FEMA’s Building Science Branch, visit our website.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
HOW TO STAY SAFE WHEN A FLOOD THREATENS
Prepare NOW!
For more information, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods.
FloodSafe Minute
Businesses - Register with SAM for CDBG Grant Funded Opportunities
First posted August 3, 2020
When spending Federal grant money, the Parish must procure professional services through companies that are registered with the System for Award Management (SAM). This is an online database that can be accessed through this link https://usfcr.com/sam-registration.
Please encourage any businesses to get registered here if they would like to be considered for grant work in the Parish. It is a requirement for them to be active on the system.
Businesses can register in the System for Award Management (SAM) database located at www.sam.gov. All current and potential government vendors are required to register in this database in order to be eligible for contract awards and payments. HUD contracting officers and program office staff conduct market research and verify a company’s SBA certifications through this database.
Terrebonne Parish is focused on reducing our risks to flood and wind from natural disasters and supporting economic stability. Much of the funding that the Parish receives is Federal funding managed by State agencies. As such, the Parish follows State and Federal laws when purchasing goods and services. Services that will be procured this year may include, but are not limited to:
To be ready for the procurement, companies must be on the SAM registry, and in good standing. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is focusing on this and the Parish will need to prove compliance.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Individual Assistance Available through FEMA
for Hurricane Zeta Losses.
Deadline March 15th
Hurricane Zeta survivors in FEMA-designated parishes who suffered losses as a direct result of the storm must register with FEMA for possible financial assistance. The deadline to register is March 15.
Go to https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ and select the blue center icon to apply online. There is also a FEMA hotline to call 800-621-3362, but they may suggest that you apply online to see what assistance you may get that is tailored to your needs.
Federal assistance includes help for temporary housing, rental assistance and repair or replacement of damaged property.
Additionally, grants may be available to help with other expenses such as medical and dental care, childcare, funeral and burial costs, replacing essential household items, moving and storage, vehicle repairs, and cleanup.
For more information or to register for assistance:
For the latest information on Hurricane Zeta, visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4577 or follow the FEMA Region 6 Twitter account at twitter.com/FEMARegion6.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
$500M in FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure & Communities Grants Available in National Competition
This year FEMA announced that applications will be accepted for the new Building Resilient Infrastructures and Communities grant program. The new program will be funded through a congressionally approved budget valued at 6% of the spending on disasters in the previous year. This year, $500 Million is available. BRIC focuses on seven lifelines critical to the function of communities:
This novel program will take the place of the previous Predisaster Mitigation Assistance program that has funded plans and elevations for the Parish, and last year, was selected for further review to fund the Bayou Black Pump Station on Geraldine Road and a home elevation program. The traditional mitigation activities are still available for applications, and the Parish is likely to submit an application for elevation of structures not eligible for other programs due to a lack of flood insurance this year like other years. However, the national competition for this funding will be fierce due to the broad list of lifeline targets.
Terrebonne Parish completed the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update this year as required by FEMA for participation in these funding competitions. During that planning process, the Parish educated the Steering Committee, the general public, as well as energy, medical and public safety professionals resulting in a list of potential projects to submit to this program. Requests included towers for 9*1*1 and other emergency services, a safe room within a new building for the Levee District, targeted drainage projects and projects to support the Morganza to the Gulf and the marsh system.
Projects being considered at this time include a water tank for Terrebonne General Medical Center and a new generating station hardened for wind and flood. TGMC would provide the local match for these projects. The Parish is also developing a project for generators at the Ashland Jail facility, a grant to complete the Oysterbed Shoreline Protection project in Lake Chien, and a small pump station project on Lirette Street in Bayou Black. These will all be vetted for cost effectiveness.
Steering Committee members have requested that the Parish identify shoreline protection projects and consider uniform regulatory standards to protect all assets equally from flooding in particular. Members of the planning team are meeting to identify the best projects for shoreline protection along Shrimpers Row that may be funded through other means. The Parish is also considering programs to provide flood insurance on a temporary basis to people otherwise eligible for other grant programs that pay 90% to 100% to elevate or reconstruct storm damaged houses.
Infrastructure and regional projects are preferred in the proposed scoring, this in the future this program may be helpful in supporting the projects identified through the Governor’s Watershed Initiative that seeks to coordinate water management over multiple parishes. Th projects under development now meet several of the lifelines supported by the new BRIC program.
Each project will compete at the state and federal levels for funding.
For inquiries, call Jennifer Gerbasi at 873-6565. For more information on BRIC, visit https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/building-resilient-infrastructure-communities.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Know Your Flood Risk. Stay Safe.
2020 has been a year of trials of all sorts including responses to five named storms and efforts to stem the Corona Virus. The virus required many of us to stay in our homes much more than usual and underscores that the family home is the safe refuge we have whenever we don’t need to evacuate. When we do need to evacuate, we all want to be able to come back to that comfortable and safe home that we were forced to leave for a short time. There are steps that we can all take to protect our homes and businesses from flooding hazards.
Know your flood hazard – discover where your property is in relation to the floodplain
To be prepared, you have to know the hazards that might increase risk of damage to a home or business. Knowing the hazard and level of risk is a great start. The Parish has been preparing as a community to build infrastructure to stop storm surge and pump out surge and rain to protect our assets, but no system is floodproof. Terrebonne Parish has many structures in what is called the Special Flood Hazard Area. This doesn’t mean structures outside this area will never flood, but structures in the Special Flood Hazard Area are considered to be at a higher risk. Anyone can look up a structure and see what FEMA believes to be the risk to that structure at this time. Visit http://maps.lsuagcenter.com/floodmaps/?FIPS=22109 or call 985-873-6567 to see if your property is in or near a flood hazard area. The Parish suggests looking at the layer that is called “DFIRM,” which is the first map that will show up when you put in the address to look for the property. It will provide the estimated ground level and the elevation that FEMA thinks will keep the structure out of flood waters. It provides some indication of the risk level of that structure.
Insure your property for your flood hazard – even properties located outside of the floodplain should be insured for flood
Flood insurance is just as important as homeowner’s insurance. Homeowner’s insurance will pay for water damage from a roof, but will not pay for a flood, which is rising water from an external source. Approximately 25% of flood claims are from owners of properties located outside of the floodplain. Those properties should be insured for flood so that they can be repaired and elevated if necessary. Flood insurance benefits can provide up to $30,000 to elevate a structure if it has flooded badly or repeatedly. Terrebonne Parish participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), so flood insurance is available to everyone. On the same map referenced above, you can look at the FIRM layer, which will give the current height required for the standard flood insurance rates. If the home or business is above those levels and in the Special Flood Hazard Area, you might get a discount of up to 62%. All structures in the SFHA that have a mortgage are required to have flood insurance. Contact a flood insurance agent to ask about flood insurance today!
Protect people from the hazard – turn around don’t drown
If you see floodwater on roads, walkways, bridges, or on the ground, do not to attempt to cross. The depth of the water is not always obvious and water can hide damage or dangerous debris. Be aware of areas where floodwaters have receded and watch out for debris. Do not drive through floodwater. Turn around, don't drown.
Protect your property from the hazard – retrofit your home or business to help protect from flooding.
It is never too early to have a plan and prepare for an event. Protect your family and property with a plan. If it may flood, prepare your home. Have an evacuation plan: make a list of emergency numbers, identify a safe place to go, and know your evacuation route. Stock up on food, medications, and a way to have clean water in case you need to leave, or come home without all the stores being available. Visit Terrebonne Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness website at tohsep.com for more information.
Build responsibly – retrofit homes or businesses in flood zones, do not build in the floodway. Build responsibly – retrofit homes or businesses in flood zones, do not build in the floodway. It is important to build with the best available data in mind. Before even starting to design a new building, check with an insurance professional or the LSU Ag Center maps to see what the flood conditions might be or contact the parish Floodplain Administrator at 985-873-6567 for that information. The permits office can advise builders and designers of the floodplain regulations and provide advice that can increase the safety of the home, avoid costly retrofitting for compliance, and lead to savings on flood insurance. All development in the Special Flood Hazard Area requires a permit. High-hazard V zones and coastal A zones have stricter compliance requirements. Build to the best available knowledge rather than just to the regulatory standard in order to be safe from flooding now and in the future. Consider building an Acadian style house or on a chain wall rather than a slab that leaves little room for change and exposes the slab to tree roots and subsidence. For information on safe building, call the Terrebonne Parish Permit Office at (985) 873-6567.
Protect natural floodplain functions – keep ditches and culverts clear of debris.
Take care of the natural floodplain. The wetlands we have naturally hold water as do the trees, shrubs and marsh grasses that make up the natural conditions in Terrebonne Parish. This great natural diversity is what is home to our great variety of species and makes us the Sportsman’s Paradise. If possible, keep the trees, avoid filling in low spots in a yard where the water can pool and regenerate our groundwater, and keep anything that could clog the storm drains tied down. NEVER blow yard waste into the storm drain, or allow leaves and dirt to clog the grates. There are many ways to protect natural floodplain functions, including: keeping areas of the floodplain in their natural state, preventing dumping in the floodplain, preserving natural drainage, controlling runoff, protecting wildlife habitats, and requiring erosion control in new development. Dumping in the floodplain can clog the drainage system. Call the Terrebonne Parish Solid Waste Division at (985) 873-6761 if you see illegal dumping.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
New Public Safety Substation Planned for East Houma
The Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government was awarded Community Development Block Grant funding as a result of the damage caused by hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Since that time, the Parish has implemented 27 projects in partnership with the Office of Community Development at the state level and the Department of Housing and Urban Development at the federal level. The budgets needed for funding for some projects included in the original Terrebonne Parish Gustav/Ike Disaster Recovery Plan have changed. The Suzie Canal, Ward 7 Levee and Department of Public Work facility projects have been completed, each under budget, and the Buyout Program has a small budget underrun and program income from the sale of properties.
With the funding remaining, the Parish is pursuing an Eastside Public Safety Substation to better serve the Parish, and particularly low to moderate income communities. This project was not included in the original Recovery Plan. Prior to submitting an application to the Office of Community Development (OCD) for, the Parish is holding a Public Hearing to answer any questions and take input from the community.
Houma Police Department is seeking a substation on the east side of the Parish to ensure consistent and equitable service throughout the City of Houma. The location proposed for 835 East Street will service low to moderate income areas that have historically been subject to crime in and around the neighborhoods.
The structure will be a modular unit constructed by experts in the field of public safety facilities, and built elevated above the estimated flood risk. This critical facility will serve as an office and temporary holding facility as well as a forum for community education. The substation is proposing to erect a facility with an adequate parking lot, security, handicap access, and generator back up power.
Public Informational Meeting Called For:
Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.
Municipal Auditorium
880 Verret Street
Houma, LA 70360
The presentation for the meeting is attached for review and discussion. The information is also available on the TPCG Website at http://www.tpcg.org/index.php?f=flooding&p=gustav_ike .
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
Flood Insurance Grace Period Expiring for Some Policies
Due to COVID-19, the National Flood Insurance Program extended the usual 30-day grace period to renew a policy to 120-Days. This is still ongoing, but those policies that were extended in the spring are coming due. Failure to renew a policy at the end of the grace period will lose any grandfathering from continuous coverage. A new policy would need to be purchased, which may lose some benefits of the lapsed policy. Please see below for details provided by the National Flood Insurance Program Regional Office.
There are over 5,000 NFIP policies in Louisiana set to lapse in the next seven weeks.
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Date Range Policy Expired |
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4/26-5/2 |
5/3-5/9 |
5/10-5/16 |
5/17-5/23 |
5/24-5/30 |
5/31-6/6 |
6/7-6/13 |
6/14-6/15 |
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Date Range 120-Day Grace Period Ends |
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8/23-8/29 |
8/30-9/5 |
9/6-9/12 |
9/13-9/19 |
9/20-9/26 |
9/27-10/3 |
10/4-10/10 |
10/11-10/12 |
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Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
Hurricane Laura did not land in Terrebonne Parish, but in case some structures were flooded, this is a reminder of how to make a flood claim. Homeowner’s Insurance does not cover flooding. Owners of flooded structures covered by flood insurance should make a claim as soon as possible. Claims pay for the repair of the structure to preserve the value and safety of the home, and may enable the owner to get an elevation grant to prevent future flooding.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)is offering elevation and reconstruction grants this fall. The grant is available to repetitive loss properties, which is defined as a property that the NFIP has paid flood claims to repair. A Severe Repetitive Loss property has flooded 4 times for claims of $5,000 or more, or has been damaged and flood claims paid over 100% of the value of the structure. This grant pays for 100% of an elevation. A property with two flood claims equaling 50% of the value of the structure or more may be eligible for a 90% grant. Applications will be accepted after September 30th, 2020. Interested owners can call the Planning Department Recovery Division at 873-6565 to get more information. Flood policies in the special flood hazard area do not increase due to additional claims unless the property becomes an SRL property. However, most would agree that access to a 100% grant makes up for the temporary increase in the cost of insurance. Make a claim. People should use the insurance that they are paying for.
How do you file a flood insurance claim?
The process consists of five steps.
1. Contact your insurer as soon as possible. All flood insurance policies require you to give timely written notice of loss. Have your policy number and a phone number and/or e-mail address where you can be reached.
2. Separate your damaged and undamaged property. Don't dispose of anything before an adjuster has seen it, unless required by law. If you have to get rid of anything (for instance, mold-infested carpet), take pictures and keep samples of the damaged goods (a small piece of the carpet).
You need to do whatever you can to prevent further damage and protect undamaged property, but you'll want to consult with your flood adjuster or flood insurer before hiring anyone to do repairs.
3. Compile a list of damaged personal property. It's smart to create a list before flooding, so all you have to do is check off the items that are damaged. The list should have an item description, cost, model and serial number (when applicable), and estimated dollar loss. Include any receipts, photos, and warranties you have.
4. Detail structural damages. Note structural loss/damage to point out to the insurance adjuster. Your adjuster will usually contact you within 24-48 hours after being notified of your loss. Then, he or she will come view your property. You may ask the adjuster for an advance or partial payment. If you have a mortgage, your mortgage company will need to sign the Building Property advance check.
5. Complete a Proof of Loss statement containing the information required by your flood insurance policy within 60 days after the loss. The Proof of Loss includes a detailed estimate to replace or repair the damaged structure and contents. In most cases, the adjuster can provide you with a suggested Proof of Loss.
Your claim is payable after you and the insurer agree on the amount of damages, and the insurer receives your complete, accurate and signed Proof of Loss in support of your claim.
$160M in FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance Funding Announced.
Repetitive Loss Property Elevation and Reconstruction for Eligible Properties Application Opening
Terrebonne Parish announces that it is accepting applications for elevation and demolition reconstruction[1] for Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) and Repetitive Loss properties. This is a nationally competitive application, but the Parish has been successful in competing in the past and is optimistic that the programs will be awarded funding again. FEMA has announced $160M available through Flood Mitigation Assistance program. Last year, the Parish was selected for review of $11.7M in federal funding from this program for drainage and elevation projects.
The Parish hopes to help as many people as possible. If successful in this national competition, SRL properties would receive 100% funding, and RL properties, 90%. The homeowner provides the required local match. Insurance benefits can be used to provide that match if eligible. The Parish and our consultants will continue to reach out directly to eligible applicants.
FEMA provides the Parish with a list of eligible properties under a formal, confidential agreement. A Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) property has lost 100% of its value in flood claims through the National Flood Insurance Program, or has flooded at least 4 times with claims over $5,000, with two of those claims in a ten year period. Policy holders should consider this when deciding whether it is “worth it” or not to make a claim after they get water in the house. That small claim may be the key to a 100% elevation grant. A Repetitive Loss (RL) property, for this grant, is any property with two claims that added together are greater than 50% of the value of the structure.
Flood insurance is required to apply for this application, and it needs to be in place for September 30th. Flood insurance takes 30 days to come into force, so all interested parties must purchase flood insurance by the end of August to ensure eligibility.
The Parish may, if there is a demand, may submit an application in a different grant for elevations of addresses not identified as top priorities. These would be funded, if awarded, at 75% federal, 25% from the owner. Flood insurance is not required up front for that grant, but the cost is higher to the homeowner. All grant funded flood reduction projects require flood insurance to be maintained for the life of the structure after it is elevated.
Each project will compete at the state and federal levels for funding.
For inquiries, call Jennifer Gerbasi at 873-6565.
[1] Structures in the V zone are not eligible for the demolition rebuild option, but can elevate with the FEMA grant.
Terrebonne Parish
Department of Planning and Zoning
Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning
FloodSafe Minute
Register for SAM and MWOB for Business Opportunities
August 3, 2020
When spending Federal grant money, the Parish must procure professional services through companies that are registered with the System for Award Management (SAM). This is an online database that can be accessed through this link https://usfcr.com/sam-registration. Please encourage any businesses to get registered here if they would like to be considered for grant work in the Parish.
Terrebonne Parish is focused on reducing our risks to flood and wind from natural disasters and supporting economic stability. Much of the funding that the Parish receives is Federal funding managed by State agencies. As such, the Parish follows State and Federal laws when purchasing goods and services. Services that will be procured this year include, but are not limited to:
To be ready for the procurement, companies must be on the SAM registry, and in good standing. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is focusing here this year.
Disadvantaged Businesses
The Federal regulations also require grantees and subgrantees (the Parish) to encourage and promote the participation of Minority and Women Owned Businesses (MWOB), or Section 3 businesses and individuals. To register as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, the business would go to http://www8.dotd.la.gov/ucp/. The Department of Transportation and Development has the best list for Louisiana for finding MWOB.
To register as a Section 3 business, which is based on income, visit https://portalapps.hud.gov/Sec3BusReg/BRegistry/SearchBusiness.
What is a Section 3 business concern? A business that:
• Is 51 percent or more owned by Section 3 residents;
• Employs Section 3 residents for at least 30 percent of its full-time, permanent staff; or
• Provides evidence of a commitment to subcontract to Section 3 business concerns, 25 percent or more of the dollar amount of the awarded contract.
Who are Section 3 residents? Section 3 residents are:
• Public housing residents or
• Persons who live in the area where a HUD-assisted project is located and who have a household income that falls below HUD’s income limits. Determining Income Levels
• Low income is defined as 80% or below the median income of that area.
• Very low income is defined as 50% or below the median income of that area.
What programs are covered? Section 3 applies to HUD-funded Public including projects that complete housing rehabilitation, housing construction, and other public construction. The Parish is encouraged to seek Section 3 and MWOB businesses for all contracting.
FEMA releases a new publication of flood risk reduction measures
for existing multifamily structures.
The National Hazard Mitigation Association started here in Louisiana recently sent us information that may help developers and landlords with multifamily structures. FEMA recently released the National Flood Insurance Program Flood Mitigation Measures for Multi-Family Buildings, P-2037. This publication provides guidance for building owners, designers, investors, builders/contractors, institutional partners, housing agencies and residents, and property and facility managers on flood risk evaluation and mitigation of large multifamily buildings located within floodplains. The publication is also useful for local officials responsible for enforcing floodplain management regulations or building codes.
Flood Risk Reduction Measures for Multi-Family Buildings in this publication:
– Elevation
– Wet Floodproofing
– Dry Floodproofing
– Elevating or Relocating Equipment
– Dry Floodproofing Building Utility Systems and Creating Vaults
– Repurposed Lowest Floor
– Perimeter Floodwall
The focus of the publication is midrise and highrise buildings, although many of the approaches could be applied to lowrise buildings. To help develop and implement a comprehensive flood damage reduction approach, this publication describes the steps for the regulatory community and builders. Example scenarios of mitigation strategies for existing multifamily buildings are provided that explain what would be acceptable to the National Flood Insurance Program keeping both the owners and the Parish in compliance. These measures may also earn insurance discounts.
The publication (FEMA P-2037) and a two-page summary fact sheet is attached.
Free copies of the publication should be available via the FEMA Publications Warehouse by calling 1-800-480-2520, Monday - Friday between 8AM to 5P EST, by fax at 1-719-948-9724, or by emailing your request to FEMApubs@gpo.gov. Please provide the title, publication number, and quantity of each publication, along with your name, address, zip code, and daytime telephone number.
A Note from the President about Flood Insurance
Gordon E. Dove, Parish President
July 6, 2020
June is upon us, and this year, we experienced the first tropical storm to usher in the new hurricane season. Hurricane season is traditionally between June and November of each year. As Parish President, I prepare all year round to be ready for storms and to recover from any damage that does occur. This year is particularly dangerous due to the added threats of COVID 19 that would make any sheltering in place, and the Cajun natural instinct to go out and help those in need, more dangerous. Together, we will not only survive, but thrive.
As the storm season continues, I wanted to remind you to take precautions for the storms or evacuations to protect your lives and property. Every household should have supplies to last for a week including medicine, water, food, and items for family members with special needs and pets. Every household is wise to have all papers in a waterproof and safe spot and a list handy of anything that would need to be taken with the family on an evacuation.
Flood insurance is also an important part of a recovery plan for homes and businesses. Families and small businesses that are properly insured are much more likely to fully recuperate financially from an event with some stability than those that struggle and face uncertainty without those resources.
Flood insurance is for everyone. Residential structures outside the flood zone can still flood. Renters can prepare as well for as little as $100 per year for a contents policy. Can you afford to replace all of your furniture and personal belongings without insurance?
In an effort to make flood insurance affordable, the Parish continues to work to support discounts for every policy in the floodplain through Community Rating System participation. Currently there is a 15% discount in the Special Flood Hazard Area, and we are working hard to reach a 20% or even a 25% discount through our efforts this year.
Don’t forget to protect your small businesses, too. Nationally, 40% of small businesses never reopen after a flood event. If you can’t afford the insurance offered with your current building conditions, call the Planning Department at 873-6565 to see if there is a risk reduction option for you that might lower that cost.
As Parish President, I am working with our partners to avoid the need for flood claims to the extent possible. These preparations are part of the solution, not a replacement for flood insurance. This year we have completed many projects including this small selection below:
I appreciate the community’s continued faith in me and my administration to provide a safe and healthy environment in Terrebonne Parish, even with the new health challenges. However, every resident is a part of that effort, and I encourage each and every household and business to get flood insurance to protect the resilience of this community. We have already had one storm this season, and the rain itself threatens many structures. Let’s prepare together. Call 877-336-2627 or your local agent for more information or email FloodSmart@FEMA.DHS.gov.
Attached: The signed letter from President Dove.
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities
New FEMA Funding Approach May Help Local Hospitals
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is kicking off a new program this fall called BRIC, or Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities. This program focuses on seven lifelines and seeks to achieve safety prior to an event rather than fixing it afterwards. Attached is a new fact sheet from FEMA called Strengthening Medical Lifelines with Hazard Mitigation. Eligible HMGP projects are available on a competitive basis like Flood Control Systems, Seismic Retrofits, Wind Retrofits, Safe Rooms internal to the buildings, Wind Shelters and Generators. Other options may include the elevation of current generators, or renovating to bring electrical equipment above the anticipated flood height. The program is new, and FEMA is encouraging innovation beyond these historical project types if they will reduce the risk and support recovery in a cost effective manner.
Over the last 10 years, FEMA has obligated nearly $100 million for 84 projects to support health and medical care facilities. Investment in medical-related mitigation projects help reduce risk and ensures these important facilities can remain operational if impacted by natural hazards. All applications will be submitted by the Parish or the State.
The overall BRIC program focuses on seven lifelines that may offer similar projects, and are targeted toward building resilient communities that can continue to be safe and recover quickly after events. The lifelines are Health and Medical; Energy (Power and Fuel); Safety and Security; Communications; Food, Water, Sheltering; and Transportation; and Hazardous Materials.
This program will replace the previous Predisaster Mitigation program (PDM). The Parish has taken advantage of traditional PDM program projects such as home elevations, engineering assistance, and planning funding and support. FEMA has stated that these project types will remain available under the new BRIC program as well.
For more information regarding help for hospitals, see the Fact Sheet attached, or go to https://www.fema.gov/bric or https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/177222 for program information.
Time to Get Prepared for Flooding and Funding
We are all distracted these days with the precautions that we are taking regarding the pandemic. A health crisis like this is an unusual event for Terrebonne Parish, but we are all pulling together to move forward safely. The threats that we are more accustomed to may also challenge us as storm season approaches formally starting on June 1st. While flood insurance renewals have been extended for some period of time, those that are not insured will be unprotected. Flood insurance may prepare your family not only for flooding, but funding applications that open at the end of August.
FEMA will be offering an application for elevation or reconstruction of repetitive loss structures, but only if they are insured on the day that the application opens. Severe Repetitive Loss properties are eligible to compete nationally for 100% grant for elevation or demolition/reconstruction of the structure. Other repetitively flooded structures may be eligible for 90% of the total project cost.
BUT – THE STRUCTURE NEEDS TO BE INSURED PRIOR TO THE GRANT PERIOD OPENING!
Flood insurance also has a 30-day waiting period before it is finalized, so no one interested in the grants should wait to pay the premium.
The funding for these grants come from the National Flood Insurance Program premiums, so the structure needs to be covered by an NFIP flood insurance policy when the application period opens at the end of August.
Anyone who has an SRL or RL property is advised to get flood insurance AND contact the Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning Office at 985-873-6565 to get a letter of interest and start gathering information for an application. All of these programs take time, and it could be years before complete, but one has to START!
The SRL group consists of any NFIP-insured residential property that has met at least 1 of the following paid flood loss criteria since 1978, regardless of ownership:
••4 or more separate claim payments of more than $5,000 each (including building and contents payments), 2 within a ten-year period; or
•• 2 or more separate claim payments (building payments only) where the total of the payments exceeds the current value of the property, 2 within a ten-year period.
If the grant is awarded, the program will pay 100% of the elevation total project cost up to $333K.
Repetitive Loss (RL) property for the purposes of the grant program is a property that has incurred flood-related damage on two occasions, in which the cost of the repair, on the average, equaled or exceeded 25% of the market value of the structure at the time of each such flood event – over 50% damaged in 2 events.
If the grant is awarded, the program will pay 90% of the elevation total project cost for a repetitive loss property up to $333K.
The time to prepare is now. Spread the work to get flood insurance, and get above the flood!
873-6565
Flood Insurance Renewal Premiums
Grace Extended by 3 Months During Corona
We all are adjusting to a new normal and many of our residents are financially stressed. FEMA, which runs the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), has included in its response to the Corona Virus help to serve its National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) customers who may be experiencing financial hardships. The agency is extending the grace period to renew flood insurance policies from 30 to 120 days. This extension applies to NFIP flood insurance policies with an expiration date between February 13-June 15, 2020.
To avoid a lapse in coverage, there is typically a 30-day grace period to renew policies. However, due to the widespread economic disruption arising from this pandemic, FEMA recognized that flood insurance policyholders may not meet the standard policy renewal deadline and extended the payment window to 120 days without penalty.
This grace period is to allow policy holders extra time to renew their policies. During the grace period, they are covered should a flood loss occur during the spring flood season or into the start of hurricane season (June 1). Anyone with a flood event should submit a claim without delay.
Policy holders must renew within the 120 day grace to maintain their effective date and any discounts from continuous coverage. Also, the Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs opening in the fall will require coverage for eligibility to participate.
Residents should call their flood insurance agent to find out when their grace period ends.
Be well. Be safe.
Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2020 - Draft Plan Available for Review
Terrebonne Parish has completed the public meetings to draft a new Hazard Mitigation Plan Update for 2020. The plan is required by FEMA and must be updated every five (5) years, and will be submitted to FEMA and adopted by the Council. The Draft Plan is available at tpcg.orghmpu or a paper copy can be reviewed at 8026 Main Street, Suite 201, Houma. The plan describes the efforts of the Parish and state and local partners to reduce risk in Terrebonne Parish from natural hazards, identifies the remaining vulnerabilities, and proposes and prioritizes projects that may further reduce risk and increase resilience. The Parish welcomes input from the public in addition to the Steering Committee. The Draft Plan and attachments are provided in PDF format to enable them to be of a manageable size. A form is available on the website that allows comments to be submitted in the text box, or up to 8MB attached comments. Maps and visuals are helpful to explain complex or discrete projects. For more information, call Jennifer Gerbasi at 985-873-6565.
Bayou Black Repetitive Loss Area Analysis
Informational Meeting
November 14th
In response to recent high water events in the Gibson/Bayou Black regions of the Parish and in conjunction with several infrastructure projects currently either under construction or in various stages of design and engineering, Parish President Gordon Dove together with Councilwoman Arlanda Williams have asked the Terrebonne Parish Department of Planning and Zoning to conduct a repetitive loss area analysis for the Bayou Black area in Gibson. The intent of the analysis is to understand the flooding issues in the area, and identify ways to help reduce future flooding. The best way to understand these issues is to speak to the residents in the area in addition to technical specialists.
The Terrebonne Parish Department of Planning and Zoning is holding an informational meeting on November 14, 2019 from 6pm to 8pm at the Devon Keller Memorial Center, located at 5575 Bayou Black Drive in Gibson. At the meeting, we will provide information regarding the methods we will use to conduct the analysis with residents. We will encourage residents to provide feedback on their flood history, their opinions on the causes of the flooding, and their ideas on potential projects to reduce damages. If you are a resident of the area interested in the analysis or in providing feedback for the analysis, please feel free to attend the meeting.
Call Tara Lambeth with any questions or concerns at 985-873-6567.
$410M in FEMA Flood Mitigation and Predisaster Mitigation Funding Announced.
Severe Repetitive Loss and Repetitive Loss Property Application Opening
Terrebonne Parish announces that it is accepting applications for elevation and demolition reconstruction[1] for Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) and Repetitive Loss properties. This is a nationally competitive application, but the Parish has been successful in competing in the past and is optimistic that the programs will be awarded funding again. FEMA has announced $160M available through Flood Mitigation Assistance program, and $250M for Predisaster Mitigation Assistance.
The Parish hopes to help as many people as possible. If successful in this national competition, SRL properties would receive 100% funding, and RL properties, 90%. The homeowner provides the required local match. Insurance benefits can be used to provide that match if eligible. The Parish and our consultants will continue to reach out directly to eligible applicants. The Parish may, if there is a demand, submit an application for elevations of addresses not identified as top priorities. These would be funded, if awarded, at 75% federal, 25% from the owner.
Last year, the Parish was selected for the Westside/St. Louis Canal Drainage project, SRL Elevations, and a planning grant for the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update.
This year the Parish intends to apply for grants for a number of projects including the elevations and demolition reconstructions, the Bayou Black Pump Station, the Ashland Justice Facility generator, Oyster Bed Surge protection, and engineering studies for the proposed Lacarpe Pump Station. Each project will compete at the state and federal levels for funding.
For inquiries, call Jennifer Gerbasi at 873-6565.
[1] Structures in the V zone are not eligible for the demolition rebuild option, but can elevate with the FEMA grant.
For those who had damage from the recent storm Barry, when building back, this is an opportunity to consider how to build back safer and stronger. See the attachments for funding that may be available from flood insurance (ICC) if the structure is substantially damaged and tips for building back safer. If a home or business owner made a flood claim from this storm, they may be over 50% damaged from this storm or all the storms in the last 10 years added together. This is measured against the assessor’s value of the structure. These structures may need to meet the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance requirement to build back. Discuss this with your insurance agent and then call the Floodplain Administrator, Lisa Ledet for more information at 985-873-6567.
For roof damage, check out the suggestions at Fortified Homes for building a stronger roof as well. https://fortifiedhome.org/homeowners-roof/
Trouble with a Flood Insurance Claim?
Getting the run around for an ICC Claim?
Reach Out to Flood Insurance Advocate’s Office for Help
Having trouble getting an answer on a flood insurance claim? Uncertain if you can lift a house based on delays in a determination about ICC (Increased Cost of Compliance) benefits? There is a federal office that might be able to move this process along.
The Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate (OFIA) advocates for the fair treatment of policyholders and property owners by providing education and guidance on all aspects of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), identifying trends affecting the public, and making recommendations for program improvements to FEMA leadership. This is not the first office to contact if you are having problems with a claim, but if your insurance agent, the NFIP hotline and FloodSmart website, the Region, and parish officials can’t help you, the Advocate may be able to assist.
Go to the webpage at https://www.fema.gov/webform/flood-insurance-advocate-ask-question and fill out the form as requested. This will start a conversation, so don’t be stressed if you can’t submit all the information you would care to within this form.
It is the intent of the Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate (OFIA) to respond to your inquiries within two (2) business days. Replies from the OFIA will be addressed as: noreply @salesforce.com On Behalf Of "Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate". If you do not find a reply from the OFIA in your inbox within two (2) business days, please check your spam or junk folders for a reply and respond accordingly.
Attachments cannot be transmitted through this form, but can be sent at a later date when the office responds. If necessary, attachments may be provided with future communication.
A list of frequently asked questions and other sources of assistance is attached or can be found at https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/104126.
If you need more information, please contact your flood insurance agent.
Moisture in a flooded house, wicking, or dampness from humidity can cause mold or mildew. “Dealing with Mold and Mildew in Your Flood Damaged Home” provides tips to avoid home and health issues. Please see attached.
Scroll down, also, for older posts with useful information:
Proper Clean-up Following Flood Can Reduce Molds and Mildew and Lessen Health Risks - Posted Friday August 19, 2016 06:53 am
Supply List for Those Returning to Flooded Homes Posted -Thursday August 31, 2017 11:45 am
After the Flood Recovery Suggestions from FEMA – Advice for insurance claims and an introduction to mold avoidance. See attached.
Scroll down also to see our past post on making Flood Claims:
How to document damage for FEMA claim - Posted Monday August 22, 2016 09:51 am
FloodSafe Minute
Hurricane Season Preparations.
Third Installment
Kids need to be prepared for storm season by making a plan just like adults. The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness has a great tool to empower kids to make their own plan. The attached packet approaches the topic with fun word finds and lists. They are walked through the process by a friendly gator, and the items that they need are repeated throughout. Kids can use this to make an important and possibly lifesaving activity fun and less scary. Many Terrebonne kids have had to evacuate, and some have lost their homes to hurricanes. Others have had to adapt and move to new school buildings. This fun set keeps the important information while providing games to teach without a lectures or fear. These are available at the Planning Department at 8026 Main Street, Second Floor as well as here online.
FloodSafe Minute
Hurricane Season Preparations.
Second Installment
Storm season is here, and while many of us have faced it before, it is a good time to look into our preparation and be sure that we are budgeting and setting items aside in case of a weather event. Do you still have a tarp or did you loan it to the brother in law? Did the plastic bins get used for Christmas decorations? Do you remember the last time you saw the flashlight? Household items tend to shift around, and it is good to take stock of those changes to be prepared. The materials below from www.ready .gov have some good suggestions and reminders.
Build A Kit
Make sure your emergency kit is stocked with the items on the checklist below. Most of the items are inexpensive and easy to find, and any one of them could save your life. Headed to the store? Once you take a look at the basic items, consider what unique needs your family might have, such as supplies for pets, or seniors.
After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for several days. Being prepared means having your own food, water and other supplies to last for at least 72 hours. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.
Basic Disaster Supplies Kit
To assemble your kit, store items in airtight plastic bags and put your entire disaster supplies kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers such as plastic bins or a duffel bag.
A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:
Additional Emergency Supplies
Consider adding the following items to your emergency supply kit based on your individual needs:
Maintaining Your Kit
After assembling your kit remember to maintain it so it’s ready when needed:
Get Flood Insurance Now
Prepare for Grant Opportunities
Storm Season is Here, and Flood Insurance has a 30 Day Wait Period
Terrebonne Parish is often under a threat from a natural or manmade flood event, and as community leaders, homeowners and business owners, we need to be prepared. Flood insurance is part of that preparation not only to recover better, but to have access to grants to reduce flooding.
FEMA offers yearly grants for Severe Repetitive Loss structures with no cost share!
The SRL group consists of any NFIP-insured residential property that has:
••4 or more separate claim payments of more than $5,000 each (including building and contents payments); or
•• 2 or more separate claim payments (building payments only) where the total of the payments exceeds the current value of the property.
In either case, 2 of the claim payments must have occurred within 10 years of each other.
These properties are found even outside the flood zone, and may be eligible to compete for a 100% grant for elevation or demolition/reconstruction of the structure. Other repetitively flooded structures with 50% damage may be eligible for 90% of the total project cost. The parish has 35 SRL and 186 eligible repetitive loss properties.
BUT – THE STRUCTURES NEED TO BE INSURED TO APPLY FOR THE 100% GRANT!
The grant application period will open around October 20019. If your property is an SRL or RL, please get flood insurance AND contact the Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning Office at 985-873-6565 to get a letter of interest and start gathering information for an application.
If the grant application is successful, the program will pay 100% of the elevation total project cost up to $333K.
Repetitive Loss (RL) property for the purposes of the grant program is a property that has incurred flood-related damage over 50% from two (2) flood events. If the grant application is successful for these properties, the program will pay 90% of the elevation total project cost up to $333K.
Call any local agent or check out https://www.floodsmart.gov/ online for information and referrals.
Flood policies take 30 days to take effect. Don’t wait until there is a storm in the Gulf to buy it!
The time to prepare is now.
Raise your house and lower your risk!
985-873-6565
FloodSafe Minute
Hurricane Season Preparations.
First Installment
As we prepare for hurricane season, we are also facing threats from other flooding both manmade and natural. This is the time to take steps to prepare for these events, whatever the cause. Many families think of their evacuation kits, and stocking up for bbqs when they return from evacuation. These are critical to being prepared. We need to focus on our personal safety and that of our pets, friends and family. When a call for evacuation comes, we need to be ready to leave, and have all of the documents and supplies we will need at the ready. It can be expensive to put it all together at once, so preparing over time in advance can be a great option. For more information go to www.ready.gov.
It is equally important to be sure that your insurance is in place, and that you are ready to make a claim. Take a moment to be sure that you have the insurance coverage you need to build back if your home is flooded.
Ask yourself the following questions for a start:
Most people have a phone that can take a video. Walk through the house talking through what you see trying to add when you bought it, where, and the cost if you can remember. A list prepared in advance and emailed to yourself for safe keeping is better, but a video is more accepted by the adjuster than trying to prove something from memory. This process can also help you decide if you have enough insurance to replace what you have if these items are lost.
Ask your homeowner policy carrier about “Ordinance and Law Coverage.” This helps people make code upgrades (including foundation elevation) after an event if required by law.
Prepare your Property Now, Too
If an evacuation or high winds are anticipated, how are you planning to secure your house? Make a plan to purchase or store materials that are the right size to protect your windows and doors. Broken windows and doors can change the pressure in a house and have led to roof failure. Clips and attachments can take time and be expensive, so it is best to plan ahead.
Take precautions against flood water. Keep gutters, drains, and ditches clear. Never blow lawn trimmings down the storm drain. Plan for how you will secure outdoor furniture and sports equipment as well. Neighborhoods can be flooded due to a ball blocking a culvert downstream. Furniture and pots can also become airborne in high winds or get washed away breaking windows and blocking drains. Make a plan for where you can store them or how to restrain these items safely.
Please see the attached note from the President.
SBA Mitigation Loans Can Help Reduce Risk
Even as we apply for 100% grants for Severe Repetitive Loss properties and 90% for Repetitive Loss/Substantially Damaged properties, those don’t assist all the homes and businesses that may still be in harm’s way.
Check out the FEMA Summary attached for more information.
If someone has been approved for an SBA disaster loan for a home or business, they can take out additional money to build back safer and stronger.
Ask about SBA mitigation loans to protect a home from future damage. Visit www.sba.gov/disaster and apply online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
The IRS Weighs in on Storm Preparedness Providing Tips and Tools for Prep and Recovery
Planning what to do in case of a disaster is an important part of being prepared. The Internal Revenue Service encourages taxpayers to safeguard their records and to make a plan. Some simple steps can help taxpayers and businesses protect financial and tax records in case of disasters, and get back to work safely.
Listed below are tips for individuals and businesses on preparing for a disaster.
Many people receive bank statements and documents by e-mail. This method is an outstanding way to secure financial records. Important tax records such as W-2s, tax returns and other paper documents can be scanned onto an electronic format.
Be sure you back up your electronic files and store them in a safe place. Making duplicates and keeping them in a separate location is a good business practice. Other options include copying files onto a CD or DVD. Also, many retail stores sell computer software packages that you can use for recordkeeping.
When choosing a place to keep your important records, convenience to your home should not be your primary concern. Remember, a disaster that strikes your home is also likely to affect other facilities nearby, making quick retrieval of your records difficult and maybe even impossible.
The IRS has disaster loss workbooks for individuals ( Publication 584, Casualty, Disaster, and Theft Loss Workbook) and businesses ( Publication 584-B, Business Casualty, Disaster, and Theft Loss Workbook) that can help you compile a room-by-room list of your belongings or business equipment. This will help you recall and prove the market value of items for insurance and casualty loss claims.
One option is to photograph or videotape the contents of your home and/or business, especially items of greater value. You should store the photos with a friend or family member who lives away from the geographic area at risk.
Employers who use payroll service providers should ask the provider if they have a fiduciary bond in place. The bond could protect the employer in the event of default by the payroll service provider.
How quickly your company can get back to business after a disaster often depends on emergency planning done today. Start planning now to improve the likelihood that your company will survive and recover. Review your emergency plans annually. Just as your business changes over time, so do your preparedness needs. When you hire new employees or when there are changes in how your company functions, you should update your plans and inform your people.
There are real benefits to being prepared for disasters. The following preparedness strategies are common to all disasters. You plan only once, and are able to apply your plan to all types of hazards.
Emergency plans should be reviewed annually. Personal and business situations change over time and so do preparedness needs. Individual taxpayers should make sure they are saving documents everybody should keep including such things as W-2s, home closing statements and insurance records. When employers hire new employees or when a company or organization changes functions, plans should be updated accordingly and employees should be informed of the changes.
Does your business have a plan that spells out special responsibilities during or preparing for a storm? Do the employees know who leaves first, comes back first, or has keys and codes needed to get back to business? Is this written with one person’s name, or the position that they serve in (transferable)? Do you need to have a list of emergency contacts or to prescreen vendors for services should be business be damaged?
Make sure you have a means of receiving severe weather information; if you have a NOAA Weather Radio, put fresh batteries in it. Make sure you know what you should do if threatening weather approaches.
Immediately after a casualty, you can request a copy of a return and all attachments (including Form W-2) by using Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return (PDF).
If you just need information from your return, you can order a free transcript by calling (800) 829-1040 or using Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return (PDF). Requests for Transcripts are also available using the online and mail options found on the Get Transcript page. Transcripts are available for the current year and returns processed in the three prior years. IRS.gov is an indispensable resource as you prepare for and recover from disaster.
August 29, 2018
Flood insurance guide
By Insurance.com Posted : August 28, 2017 lightly amended by RAMP.
Flooding is the most common natural disaster in the United States. It's also the most expensive, costing homeowners, insurers and the government billions each year. If most of your wealth is tied up in your house, you may be risking financial ruin without adequate flood insurance coverage.
This guide tells you what flood insurance covers, how much it costs, how it works, and who should consider having it.
Does homeowners insurance cover flooding?
Homeowners insurance typically covers water damage from bursting pipes and overflowing toilets, sinks and tubs. It usually covers the costs if your dishwasher or water heater explodes. If you buy a special endorsement, your homeowners policy also reimburses expenses incurred from sewer or water line backups.
Your homeowners insurance also kicks in if a storm like a hurricane blows your roof off and your interiors are damaged by rain. You’re covered by homeowners insurance as long as the water originates from within your home or directly from the sky.
However, your homeowners insurance (and umbrella policy, if you have one) typically does not cover damage caused by water that has come in contact with the ground outside -- from rising water from creeks, rivers, flash flooding, etc. You can only get that protection from a flood insurance policy.
That being said, an extra rider on a homeowners insurance policy might help to elevate a structure. If a fire or wind damage caused the house to be substantially damaged, and to rebuild you would have to elevate, this coverage could come in handy. Ordinance and Law Coverage may be available on the homeowner policy to pay for coming into compliance with the flood ordinance if the insurance policy is paying for a covered loss as well. It wouldn’t be available after a flood if that was the only insurance claim from an event, but it might help elevate the structure after a fire or wind event. See the FloodSafe Minute from April 2017 or call your agent for more information.
Who needs flood insurance?
Once you know how limited your homeowners coverage is, you may be asking yourself, "Do I need flood insurance?"
Mortgage lenders require home buyers in designated flood plains (aka Special Flood Hazard Areas, or SFHAs) to purchase flood insurance. If you don't live in a flood plain or have a mortgage, you won't be forced to buy flood coverage.
Even if you're not required to buy flood insurance, however, you should consider it. According to the Insurance Information Institute, more than one-fifth of claims for flood damage originate in homes that are in low-to-moderate risk areas -- households that are not required to purchase flood insurance by lenders.
As the experts at the National Flood Insurance Program say, "Everyone lives in a flood zone."
Most of the people who flooded in Houston and central Louisiana could have gotten flood insurance for under $500/year, but didn’t because it wasn’t required. They are not at the mercy of the federal tax payer to build back. In fact, one-third of all flood-related disaster assistance, which is available to uninsured homeowners, went to those not in designated flood plains. The fact that one in five flood claims originate outside high-risk areas, while scary, doesn’t capture the cost to uninsured homeowners. That's because only about 12 percent of homeowners nationwide have flood insurance, so many of those affected by floods had no policies to collect on and therefore the flood devastation is often underestimated.
Without insurance, disaster relief from floods mostly takes the form of low-interest loans made available by the federal government (ask about SBA and 203 (k) loans). These loans must be paid back. Purchasing a flood insurance policy is the only way to fully protect your family from flood-related costs.
How does flood insurance work?
National flood insurance is administered by the federal government and sold only through licensed insurance agents. Unlike most other types of insurance, flood insurance policy rates should not vary between insurers. However, a more skilled insurance agent may know how to document safety features of your home or business to get discounts, or know how to select a price that is better for you. Sometimes buying more coverage is a lower premium!
You can insure your house for up to $250,000 and your personal property (contents) for up to $100,000. If you rent, you can buy up to $100,000 in coverage for your belongings. For non-residential property, you can buy up to $500,000 of coverage for the building and contents.
Flood insurance does come with separate deductibles for the building and its contents. You get to choose the deductible amount. Higher deductibles get you lower premiums; however, if you have a mortgage, your lender may not allow you to increase your deductible beyond specified limits.
Understand that flood insurance does not kick in immediately, so you can't just buy it once a storm is heading your way. There's a 30-day waiting period in most cases.
However, there are a few exceptions:
If you wait until the rainy season to buy your flood policy, you could be trapped in a nightmare scenario -- having purchased insurance but ineligible for coverage if a storm hits within a month. For maximum peace of mind, it may be best to "set it and forget it."
Flood insurance FAQs
Here are some common flood insurance questions:
Can I get flood insurance even if my lender doesn't require it?
Yes, and if you're in a lower-risk area, you may qualify for Preferred Risk Policy (PRP) rates.
Can I get flood insurance if I have filed flood insurance claims before?
Yes, you can get flood insurance if the property has been flooded previously. Your premium may reflect the added risk of subsequent flooding as the PRP is not available for properties with two or more floods. However, in general, the costs of the premium is based on location in the floodplain and perceived risk rather than the number of claims.
Can I pay a monthly premium for flood insurance?
No, you have to pay for a full year, upfront. The NFIP accepts checks, Master Card, Visa, and AmEx. Legislation from 2014 appears to allow for monthly or quarterly payments to make flood insurance more accessible to lower income families, but that does not appear to have been adopted by any write your own company or the federal government at NFIP direct.
My home and contents are worth more than $350,000. Can I buy additional coverage?
While the NFIP does not offer extended coverage, many private insurers do. Their rates are not regulated, so you'll need to shop with competing providers to get the best rates. Reinsurance is an option, and one can buy the policy entirely from a private insurer. Be aware that certain grant programs will not be available to any structure that is insured through a private insurance policy, and private insurance is not required to provide the same benefits as an NFIP policy.
How do I find out what my flood risk is?
For the flood risk assigned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood zones are mapped nationwide. You can enter your address into the flood risk tool provided by FEMA to see your local risk profile. In Louisiana you can get a basic idea from http://maps.lsuagcenter.com/floodmaps. Call your Floodplain Administrator for a legal interpretation of your flood zone. Ask the neighbors to see if it has flooded regardless of zone.
My house is on a hill and will never be flooded, though it's in a flood zone. Can I get out of buying flood insurance?
First, even houses on a hill can flood whether that be a basement, a mudslide or a flashflood from higher areas. However, local areas within flood zones may not be considered high risk if the home is higher than the designated Base Flood Elevation, or BFE. To get an exemption, you can submit property and elevation materials with a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA). For detailed information, call FEMA toll-free at 1.877.336.2627. Your local floodplain manager will have to sign off on the request as part of the submission, but it is your responsibility to make the case that your structure is not at high risk.
What does flood insurance cover?
Flood insurance losses directly resulting from flooding or flood-related erosion caused by heavy or prolonged rain, snow melt, coastal storm surges, blocked storm drainage systems, levee dam failure and similar events.
Flood insurers reimburse policyholders for structural damage, including:
In addition, flood insurance covers damage and loss of personal property as follows:
If you have a lot of valuables, ask your insurer about additional riders or endorsements to extend your flood coverage.
What does flood insurance not cover?
Flooding in the first 30 days
Standard flood insurance plugs many holes in your homeowners policy, but it's not fool-proof. As indicated above, your coverage will not kick in if purchased less than 30 days prior to the occurrence of flood damage.
"We always encourage people to educate themselves on what their home's risk might be, and talk to their insurance agent well before there's a storm on the horizon or any type of flooding situation that would come up," says Christina Loznicka, a spokesperson for Allstate Insurance in Northbrook, Ill.
Damages exceeding policy limits
In addition, federal flood insurance coverage is capped at $350,000 -- $250,000 for your dwelling and $100,000 for your personal possessions, says Rachel Racusen, a spokeswoman for FEMA. If your house or the property in it is valued at more than those limits, you could be at risk of being underinsured.
To protect yourself and your belongings, it's important to determine if you need additional coverage, says Loznicka. "Ask your insurance agent if you're eligible to purchase excess flood insurance, which is offered by private insurers."
Such policies can provide up to several million dollars of extra coverage. Policyholders must first purchase NFIP coverage before they can buy the extra coverage, which has widely varying
Landscaping and exterior features
If a flood takes out your trees or plants, you're out of luck. Also excluded are features like fountains, decks, patios, walkways, fences, hot tubs, swimming pools, wells and septic systems.
Living expenses
If your home becomes unlivable in the wake of a flood, your insurance will not cover the cost of alternative living arrangements. While your standard homeowners policy does include this for other disasters, it does not apply to flooding. You may be able to purchase additional coverage -- ask your agent.
Miscellaneous
Other items excluded from flood coverage include:
Cost of flood insurance
How much is flood insurance? That depends. If your home is located in a low-to-moderate risk area, you're eligible for Preferred Risk Policy (PRP) rates. These are standard for the amount of coverage you desire and come with a minimum $1,000 deductible. The table below shows PRP rates for varying amounts of coverage.
How much is flood insurance for those in flood zones?
For those in higher-risk areas (Zones V and A), the cost of coverage depends on your home's size, construction, location, and your deductible. According to FEMA, the average flood insurance policy costs about $700 per year, but can vary wildly, depending on your home's elevation.
The Base Flood Elevation, or BFE shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for high-risk flood zones indicates the water surface elevation resulting from a flood that has a 1 percent chance of equaling or exceeding that level in any given year.
The primary way to reduce your flood insurance cost is to increase your home's elevation. Going from four feet below the BSE to three feet above it would save over $90,000 in 10 years at today's premiums. Homeowners may be able to get low-cost loans or grants to accomplish this.
The other way to lower costs is to increase your deductible. The minimum deductible for flood insurance is $1,000, and the maximum deductible is $10,000. You can save up to 40 percent on your premiums by increasing your deductible.
For those in the riskiest areas, the savings realized by increasing to a $10,000 deductible would make up the added cost in less than three years. However, if a homeowner doesn’t have the $10,000, some companies will not pay until the $10,000 is invested first. Therefore, it could put the claim at risk.
Cost of not having flood insurance
FloodSmart.gov has created a damage estimator tool to show the potential effects of a flood in your home. You can access it here.
How do you file a flood insurance claim?
The process consists of five steps.
1. Contact your insurer as soon as possible. All flood insurance policies require you to give timely written notice of loss. Have your policy number and a phone number and/or e-mail address where you can be reached.
2. Separate your damaged and undamaged property. Don't dispose of anything before an adjuster has seen it, unless required by law. If you have to get rid of anything (for instance, mold-infested carpet), take pictures and keep samples of the damaged goods (a small piece of the carpet).
You need to do whatever you can to prevent further damage and protect undamaged property, but you'll want to consult with your flood adjuster or flood insurer before hiring anyone to do repairs.
3. Compile a list of damaged personal property. It's smart to create a list before flooding, so all you have to do is check off the items that are damaged. The list should have an item description, cost, model and serial number (when applicable), and estimated dollar loss. Include any receipts, photos, and warranties you have.
4. Detail structural damages. Note structural loss/damage to point out to the insurance adjuster. Your adjuster will usually contact you within 24-48 hours after being notified of your loss. Then, he or she will come view your property. You may ask the adjuster for an advance or partial payment. If you have a mortgage, your mortgage company will need to sign the Building Property advance check.
5. Complete a Proof of Loss statement containing the information required by your flood insurance policy within 60 days after the loss. The Proof of Loss includes a detailed estimate to replace or repair the damaged structure and contents. In most cases, the adjuster can provide you with a suggested Proof of Loss.
Your claim is payable after you and the insurer agree on the amount of damages, and the insurer receives your complete, accurate and signed Proof of Loss in support of your claim.
How to get flood insurance
You can simply call the company that provides your homeowners insurance to add flood coverage.
"Flood costs are based on your risk in an area, and is priced the same from the federal government's National Flood Insurance Program," says Loretta Worters, vice president of communications at the Insurance Information Institute. "Prices tend to be higher when flood insurance is unavailable through the NFIP."
There may be differences in the service offered by various providers, however. Worters explains, "All insurers should handle the claims the same: the claims that have the most damage are likely to be handled first. Service is of course a factor. The best way to find out the service provided by an insurer is to ask friends, family and neighbors what their experiences have been like."
If your current carrier does not offer flood insurance, you can find homeowners and flood insurance referrals by contacting the NFIP at 888-379-9531 for an agent referral.
Building Back – Buyout Properties for Sale
The properties bought with CDBG grant funds from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike are being sold August 11th without reserve. The parish purchased the properties due to their repetitive storm damage, and is required to use the properties for a public purpose or sell them. Any structures built on these properties will be at a higher flood safety level. The program eliminated the storm damaged structures and can provide safer housing and avoid having vacant lots as often occurs with FEMA buyout programs.
Most of the properties are in Roberta Grove, Lisa Park and Bayou Cane. Some are two or three lots together, but all being sold separately at auction. We hope for a good turnout August 11th at 11:00 in the Government Tower at 8026 Main Street, and online. Visit www.terrebonneauction.com for pictures and www.svngilmoreauction.com more information on the properties, the auction, and terms and conditions.
|
413 Jean Street |
Houma |
LA |
70364 |
|
415 Jean Street |
Houma |
LA |
70364 |
|
501 Harding Street |
Houma |
LA |
70364 |
|
505 Middlewood Drive |
Houma |
LA |
70363 |
|
507 Madison Street |
Houma |
LA |
70360 |
|
511 Oakwood Drive |
Houma |
LA |
70363 |
|
515 Oakwood Drive |
Houma |
LA |
70363 |
|
Withdrawn |
Houma |
LA |
70364 |
|
Withdrawn |
Houma |
LA |
70364 |
|
Withdrawn |
Houma |
LA |
70364 |
|
603 Louis Drive |
Houma |
LA |
70364 |
|
620 Woodside Drive |
Houma |
LA |
70363 |
|
3403 Woodcrest Drive |
Houma |
LA |
70363 |
|
5375 Grand Caillou |
Houma |
LA |
70363 |
This is the third attempt to sell the properties, and the money earned from the sales is “program income.” The funds will revert to the state unless they accept an application from the Parish proposing to remedy an unmet need from the 2008 storms that meets a national objective. The national objectives the elimination of slum and blight, assistance to low to moderate income individuals, and urgent need. The properties can be rebuilt on with some minor limitations and affirmative requirements.
CODE OF ETHICS
La. R.S.42: 1109 et seq. Prohibits “public servants” (parish Employees) from entering into contracts and other transactions that are under the jurisdictions of the agency of that “public servant.” Therefore, the following people are prohibited from bidding on surplus items:
All council members; The Parish President; All employees of the Finance Department, the Purchasing Division, the Planning Department and the Housing and Human Services Department; All employees of the department from which the surplus items came, including all supervisors and the department head; Employees and staff of the Parish President and Administration; the children, spouses of children, brothers, sisters, parents, spouse, and the parents of the spouse, of the above listed persons; and any corporation, partnership, or other legal entity in which a person described above has a controlling interest.
FREE LUNCH!
Builder registration and licensing is the law. The state is the licensing authority, but the Parish is on the front line providing permits for work. The grant programs are required to meet all local, state and federal law including building code enforcement and builder licensing. If you know of any builder that wants to take advantage of reconstruction and elevation projects or the trades needed for those projects, they need to have the appropriate registration or licensure. The Home Builders Association is holding a FREE lunch for contractors to help other builders get their proper documentation. Spread the word. Unlock access to grant dollars.
Lunch & Licensing
Businesses are the Backbone of Recovery
FEMA Booklet Provides Survival Plan Guidance for all Disasters
The SBA provides a series of checklists and toolkits.
Though we generally focus this time on flooding, some of the same safeguards taken for other disasters and events are useful for flood and vice versa. The links below give a list of considerations and checklists to prepare for any event.
If businesses are ready to survive and recover, the nation and our economy are more secure. America’s businesses form the backbone of the nation’s economy; small businesses alone account for more than 99% of all companies with employees, employ 50% of all private sector workers and provide nearly 45% of the nation’s payroll. The SBA reports that up to 25% of small businesses do not reopen after a disaster and 25% more are likely to fail in the next two years. A commitment to planning today will help support employees, customers, the community, the local economy and even the country. It also protects your business investment and gives your company a better chance for survival.
Review and download FEMA’s business survival plan guidance, with recommendations that reflect the Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity Standard (NFPA 1600) developed by the National Fire Protection Association and endorsed by the American National Standards Institute and the Department of Homeland Security:
Business Booklet 12pg 2014 by Ed Praetorian on Scribd or
https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1389022685845-7cdf7d7dad7638a19477d01fdbfa820f/Business_booklet_12pg_2014.pdf on FEMA’s site
The Small Business Administration also provides tools, and a link to their favorite FEMA tools.
https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/prepare-emergencies#section-header-0
https://www.fema.gov/preparedness-checklists-toolkits
Keep in mind, always, that flood is still the most likely disaster for Louisiana. After the 2016 floods the Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon estimated that 75% of those affected didn’t have flood insurance. He also estimated that 70% of small businesses didn’t carry flood insurance that would have cost on average $60 per month.
Provided by the National Hurricane Survival Initiative
Hurricane Preparedness Week may be over, but the season is just about to start. A disturbance was already identified this year. Hurricane preparedness does not end at home, either. An often over-looked segment of hurricane safety is the workplace. Whether or not you are an employee or an employer, it is essential to take proactive steps in preparing for unpredictable storms and other disasters.
By taking the initiative to start planning early, you can create a plan that will have you fully prepared in the event of a disaster. While securing plans for your home and loved ones, take some time to focus on the future of your business or work place. Forty percent of small businesses that close due to hurricane damage do not reopen. In order to prevent your business from being another statistic, it is critical to prepare now.
To help, a Business Survival Plan has been compiled to serve as a comprehensive guide to safeguard your business. This Survival Plan provides steps to improve employee safety and protect property as well as important company information. It serves as an important tool to enforce your business’ emergency plan in the event of any disaster. Keep this plan handy by printing it out and ensure you have covered all the relevant steps before the Hurricane Season begins.
Using these three key steps as guidelines will ensure you are prepared for any damages following any disaster. Furthermore, you should decide on a back-up location where your business could run smoothly if damages occur on the original site and discuss this with all employees. If your business is damaged remember to assess, document, and report them to your insurance company as soon as possible.
The below items should be gathered in one location at your place of business should a storm hit while you are on premises. This will help protect the safety of your employees should disaster strike during regular working hours and without ample notice.
NHSI also advises on choosing and communicating to employees a back-up operations location if damage occurs.
Access the original business disaster survival checklist on the NHSI website.
New Study Shows that Mitigation Can Provide $6 Benefit for Every $1 Spent
Flood mitigation goes beyond dollars and cents
The benefits of mitigation cannot be overstated. Community leaders are driven to take action in order to revitalize neighborhoods, improve public spaces, enhance public safety and boost the community’s competitiveness.
Research shows community benefits of flood mitigation
Research and analysis from the National Institute of Building Sciences indicates that the economic benefits from hazard mitigation significantly outweigh the costs by as much as 6:1 when using traditional cost-benefit analysis. When broader benefits are considered, values could be even higher than 6:1.
Solutions exist to support flood mitigation investment
Funding flood mitigation is a challenge, but creative local solutions and diverse financing sources to fund mitigation projects can ease the financial strain on communities. Federal and other governmental assistance programs are in place to help ease the financial burden for homeowners and community leaders. Communities can leverage local resources to help cover costs as well.
Flood mitigation can create significant discounts of up to 45% on flood insurance
After investing in mitigation many of the communities analyzed improved their Community Rating System (CRS) class and received significant discounts on flood insurance, putting money back in the pockets of property owners.
The benefits of flood mitigation result from local action
Twenty-one case studies profile communities that invested in flood mitigation. The case studies feature the return on investment for taking action, key successes and challenges of each project, and how the community has benefited.
Follow the link for 21 examples of communities reducing flood risk in the United States from Massachusetts to Louisiana (Jefferson Parish) at floodeconomics.com/flood-mitigation-takeaways.
Download the Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report or access the full Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report and Supporting Documents.
This year marks the 30-year anniversary since the Robert T. Stafford Act was amended to include funding for hazard mitigation grants as a way to help communities recover and rebuild after a Presidentially-declared disaster. In the last three decades, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs have expanded to three mitigation grant programs for pre-and post-disaster events and recently surpassed $15 billion in funding provided for state, local, tribal and territorial mitigation projects. Communities across the nation are now more resilient, and that growth continues.
Terrebonne Parish has been awarded FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant and Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant funding for 38 projects worth $94 million, of which $78 million is federal funding. The Parish has expended these funds on elevations, pump stations, dredging, home acquisitions, demolitions, and a host of other flood and wind risk reduction projects. Immediately after eight (8) disasters, FEMA provided Public Assistance totaling $50 million providing 90% of the reported expenses in the Parish for Debris Removal, Emergency Protective Measures, Roads & Bridges, Drainage, Pollution Control, Buildings & Equipment, Utilities, and Parks. The Parish has also been awarded $135 million through the Office of Community Development from HUD that has paid for levees, raised roads, demolitions, low income housing and infrastructure and housing improvements.
FEMA and the State have been, and will continue to be valuable partners, and will continue to assist the Parish in reducing risk and protecting lives, our culture, and property values. Terrebonne Parish has raised over $50 million of local funding to invest in our protection as well and will continue to seek out any and all avenues to fund our safety and way of life.
View a detailed timeline showcasing defining events and advancements in the history of FEMA’s mitigation assistance program and watch Hazard Mitigation Assistance Branch Chiefs Karen Helbrecht, Michael Hillenburg and Anna Pudlo share their reflections on the value and benefits of mitigation:
Free Legal Help with Family Property
Many members of this community may live on property that has been passed down to them by a family member but have not completed the necessary legal steps to secure actual ownership of that property. Lawyers in the community are here to aid with that process and it's all free.
To date, Louisiana Appleseed's clearing title programs have helped more than 850 community members in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas save their family homes, which created an economic benefit to the community of over $15 million. Those efforts are now expanding to assist the residents of Lafourche and Terrebonne before the next major hurricane, oil spill, or another type of disaster occurs.
Louisiana’s coastal regions are being prioritized, including communities in Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes. During this time, residents may seek to elevate homes, make structural and non-structural changes, or to relocate their families. If residents cannot prove ownership of their home, they may not qualify for assistance programs, rebuilding funds, loans, or insurance benefits. Rather than facing barriers to financial recovery after the next disaster strikes, residents should take steps now to protect their property and build family wealth and assets.
For help, please call the Louisiana Civil Justice Center at 1-800-256-1660 or Louisiana Appleseed's Houma partner, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, at 985 851-5687 to learn how you can get clear legal title to your property. Or visit https://louisianaappleseed.org/. A flier and background information on the process is attached.
Fliers and booklets available I the Planning Department (4th floor Government Tower) and the Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning Division (Second Floor)
It is always a good time to get flood insurance
Terrebonne Parish is often under a threat from a natural or manmade flood event, and as community leaders, homeowners and business owners, we need to be prepared. Flood insurance is part of that preparation. Before saying “but this property is not in a flood zone,” think for a minute about friends and family members who flooded, but didn’t have insurance for that same reason. Structures outside the flood zone flood, too, and can generally obtain a policy for under $500 per year. For some it will be very expensive, but one has to consider how expensive the flood damage has been and that it may open the door for a 100% grant for elevation.
Some structures, even outside the flood zone, are Severe Repetitive Loss properties, and may be eligible to compete for a 100% grant for elevation or demolition/reconstruction of the structure. Other repetitively flooded structures may be eligible for 90% of the total project cost.
BUT – THE STRUCTURE NEEDS TO BE INSURED 180 DAYS PRIOR TO THE GRANT PERIOD OPENING!
For those properties that are Severe Repetitive Loss or Repetitive Loss properties, there are funding opportunities most years through the National Flood Insurance Program. The FMA Grant Program is focused on mitigating repetitive loss (RL) properties and severe repetitive loss (SRL) properties. Since the funding comes from the National Flood Insurance Program premiums, not only does the structure need to be covered by insurance after it is lifted (forever regardless of ownership) but a current policy has to be in place for 180 days prior to the grant application opening date.
FEMA has not announced when that grant will be available for 2018, but if your property is an SRL or RL, please get flood insurance AND contact the Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning Office at 985-873-6565 to get a letter of interest and start gathering information for an application. All of these programs take time, and it could be years before complete, but one has to START!
The SRL group consists of any NFIP-insured residential property that has met at least 1 of the following paid flood loss criteria since 1978, regardless of ownership:
••4 or more separate claim payments of more than $5,000 each (including building and contents payments); or
•• 2 or more separate claim payments (building payments only) where the total of the payments exceeds the current value of the property.
In either case, 2 of the claim payments must have occurred within 10 years of each other. Multiple losses at the same location within 10 days of each other are counted as 1 loss, with the payment amounts added together.
If the grant application is successful, the program will pay 100% of the elevation total project cost up to $333K.
Repetitive Loss (RL) property for the purposes of the grant program is a property that has incurred flood-related damage on two occasions, in which the cost of the repair, on the average, equaled or exceeded 25% of the market value of the structure at the time of each such flood event – over 50% damaged in 2 events.
If the grant application is successful, the program will pay 90% of the elevation total project cost for a repetitive loss property up to $333K.
The time to prepare is now. Get flood insurance, and get up!
985-873-6565
Trouble with a Flood Insurance Claim?
Getting the run around for an ICC Claim?
Reach Out to Flood Insurance Advocate’s Office for Help
Having trouble getting an answer on a flood insurance claim? Uncertain if you can lift a house based on delays in a determination about ICC (Increased Cost of Compliance) benefits? There is a federal office that might be able to move this process along.
The Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate (OFIA) advocates for the fair treatment of policyholders and property owners by providing education and guidance on all aspects of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), identifying trends affecting the public, and making recommendations for program improvements to FEMA leadership. This is not the first office to contact if you are having problems with a claim, but if your insurance agent, the NFIP hotline and FloodSmart website, the Region, and parish officials can’t help you, the Advocate may be able to assist.
Go to the webpage at https://www.fema.gov/webform/flood-insurance-advocate-ask-question and fill out the form as requested. This will start a conversation, so don’t be stressed if you can’t submit all the information you would care to within this form.
It is the intent of the Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate (OFIA) to respond to your inquiries within two (2) business days. Replies from the OFIA will be addressed as: noreply @salesforce.com On Behalf Of "Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate". If you do not find a reply from the OFIA in your inbox within two (2) business days, please check your spam or junk folders for a reply and respond accordingly.
Attachments cannot be transmitted through this form, but can be sent at a later date when the office responds. If necessary, attachments may be provided with future communication.
A list of frequently asked questions and other sources of assistance is attached.
If you need more information, please contact your flood insurance agent.
The National Flood Insurance Program - Back until February 8, 2018
Reach Out to the Senators to Support Flood Insurance
Act Today!
The National Flood Insurance Program is under discussion in congress, and due to lapse on February 8th, 2018. It is now on its third short term extension as congress grapples with the budget resolutions that contain this legislation. If you are planning on buying with a federally backed loan a structure that is in the special flood hazard area, consider buying the policy now so that the purchase will not be held up by a lack of flood insurance if another lapse occurs in two weeks.
If you would like to encourage the congressional delegation to prioritize the National Flood Insurance Program, you can use the website for the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance to send a message to the delegation. At http://csfi.info/take-action/ , the site will use your address to send an email message to Senators Cassidy and Kennedy and their staff with a set message or one that you write yourself.
The bills are considering among many other changes:
The Parish council has passed the attached resolution suggesting certain changes to the bills drafted and supporting some of the content as is.
The NFIP has experienced a lapse in authority before. In most of these cases, Congress reauthorized the Program retroactively. However, until Congress acts, we are unable to provide new or increased coverage, and we want to fully inform you of your options during this period.
If you need more information, please contact your flood insurance agent.
The National Flood Insurance Program Has Lapsed January 19, 2018
Prior Submitted Applications and Claims will Be Processed
The National Flood Insurance Program is under discussion in congress, and is tied to the continuing resolution for the budget. As this failed to be passed this weekend, the National Flood Insurance Program has lapsed. FEMA and Congress have never failed to honor the flood insurance contracts in place with NFIP policyholders. FEMA still has authority to ensure the payment of valid claims with available funds.
However, FEMA cannot sell or renew policies for millions of properties in communities across the nation until the program is reauthorized. Nationwide, the National Association of Realtors estimates that a lapse might impact approximately 40,000 home sale closings per month. Our December post suggested that people should submit applications in advance. Those opportunities are foreclosed at this time, but there are policies below regarding the continuing capacity of the NFIP:
Existing Policies Benefits or Transitions
Alternatives?
The congress has been working towards private provision of flood insurance, so there may be some alternatives for buyers. Flood insurance is only required for purchases made with a federally backed loan. Congress passed an act last year to require that the mortgage companies accept private flood insurance as well as NFIP policies. The private market is not yet robust, and there are no predictions about how many policies they may sell during this lapse in the NFIP.
Calculating Date of Entering into New Flood Insurance Contracts
The date on which a company actually accepts an application for a flood insurance purchase or renewal and the applicable premium within 10 days of the application date will be the date of entry.
This would be the date and time of the loan closing if the flood insurance contract is related to the making, increasing, extension, or renewal of a loan so long as the company receives the application for flood insurance and the applicable premium within 30 days if paid by escrowed, title company, or settlement attorney or 10 days if not.
The NFIP has experienced a lapse in authority before. In most of these cases, Congress reauthorized the Program retroactively. However, until Congress acts, the NFIP is unable to provide coverage, and the attachment will fully inform you of your options during this period.
If you need more information, please contact your flood insurance agent.
The National Flood Insurance Program Could Lapse December 22nd, 2017
Submit Applications Prior to the Lapse – Don’t Wait!
The National Flood Insurance Program is under discussion in congress, and due to lapse on the 22nd. This is a second extension, the last, due December 8th. If Congress does not act prior to the end of session to extend the program, it could lapse for some period of time. A lapse in authority will not affect most of the 5 million flood insurance policyholders nationwide. Policies that are in force will remain in force, and NFIP insurers will continue to pay claims under those policies during a lapse. However, new and revised applications will be processed differently based on whether the program was in lapse when the application was submitted and then paid for.
Under current law, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) may not enter into a new flood insurance contract after a lapse in authority. Such lapse in authority would significantly impact the NFIP’s normal operations not allowing new or increased policies, but applications submitted before a lapse can be approved.
Handling of New Policies or Requests to Increase Coverage
. Standard 30-Day or 1-Day Map Revision Waiting Period
o If the application date or request to increase coverage is on or before the last day of effective authorization, and the insurer receives the application/request and premium payment within the lapse period and within 10 days of the application/request date, the insurer may issue the policy and it will become effective on the requested effective date, in accordance with the applicable waiting period rules.
. Loan Closing No Waiting Period
o For loans closing prior to the first day of lapse in authority, when the application or request to increase coverage is dated on or before closing and the premium payment is not part of the closing (i.e., premium payment is via the applicant or applicant’s representative check or credit card) and the application/request and premium are received within 10 days of the closing date, the policy may be issued effective the date of the closing.
Existing Policies Benefits or Transitions
Calculating Date of Entering into New Flood Insurance Contracts
The date on which a company actually accepts an application for a flood insurance purchase or renewal and the applicable premium within 10 days of the application date will be the date of entry.
This would be the date and time of the loan closing if the flood insurance contract is related to the making, increasing, extension, or renewal of a loan so long as the company receives the application for flood insurance and the applicable premium within 30 days if paid by escrowed, title company, or settlement attorney or 10 days if not.
The NFIP has experienced a lapse in authority before. In most of these cases, Congress reauthorized the Program retroactively. However, until Congress acts, the NFIP is unable to provide coverage, and the attachment will fully inform you of your options during this period.
If you need more information, please contact your flood insurance agent.
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The final LA SAFE community meeting is next Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at the Civic Center. Please see below for the full announcement. Round 5: Why we need you there! Wednesday, Dec. 6 (6 p.m. – 8 p.m.) — Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, 346 Civic Center Blvd., HoumaThe fifth and final round of community meetings for Louisiana’s Strategic Adaptations for Future Environments is just around the corner. We hope you will join us to evaluate the potential proposals that make the most sense in your parish. The planning team has worked with residents, parish officials, NGO partners and other supporters of this initiative to narrow down the list of potential proposals in Jefferson, Lafourche, Plaquemines, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany and Terrebonne parishes. What will this Round 5 meeting look like? You will have an opportunity to review six pilot proposals developed over the course of the previous four meetings. (See graphic here.) LA SAFE planning team members will be on hand to answer your questions about the projects before you select your preference. As an added bonus, food, art and music from your parish will be available for your enjoyment. (Learn more about our work in Terrebonne Parish here.) Not only do we hope you will join us, we also hope you will help us spread the word about the meeting. Please tell your friends and neighbors, forward this email, and download and pass around these push cards and flyers that are custom-designed for your parish! We’re excited to wrap up this last round of meetings on a celebratory note and move forward with the selection of your project. Thanks in advance for your continued interest and we look forward to seeing you! |
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About LA SAFE Visit the |
About Foundation for Louisiana Visit the |
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Louisiana Division of Administration
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Good Earth Community Garden Public Meeting
This Saturday! November 18, 2017
The Parish is partnering with Keep Terrebonne Beautiful and the Pointe au Chien Indian Tribe to develop a community garden in Montegut. Keep Terrebonne Beautiful was awarded a grant to provide a community garden to Terrebonne Parish. The proposed site is on flooded properties bought by the Parish. This is a cooperative effort to plant fruit trees and vegetables. The Pointe au Chien tribe is generously providing maintenance and insurance.
This is an ongoing effort to use the buyout properties in a manner that remains in compliance with FEMA rules, but also provides public benefits. These include saving Parish funds that would otherwise have had to continue to maintain the property.
Come to a neighborhood meeting to see the draft mapping for the fruit trees, help design the vegetable garden, learn about volunteer options, or to ask questions.
109, 111, 112, and 113 Kennedy Street in Montegut
Saturday November 18, 2017 10-11 AM
The tree planting is scheduled for December 9th. The vegetable planting will occur in January and February.
Call Jennifer Gerbasi at 873-6565 or KTB with any questions: 873-0107
Grant Sponsors: Keep America Beautiful and Lowe’s
Surplus Real Property Auction Online
October 6-9, 2017
The Parish purchased storm damaged housing from residents with Community Block Grant Funding available after Hurricane Gustav. These properties can be resold and rebuilt with some limitations as to the method of building. Most of these properties were put up for auction last year. Those that didn’t sell or had been reserved for another purpose are now up for auction through the Central Auction House. The links are offered below, but to see the conditions, required documents, and the appraisal, the bidders must register. Registration is free. If you have constituents interested in these properties, please forward this information so that they can bid.
Link to the online materials: http://www.centralauctionhouse.com/rfp.php?cid=65 Register to See Details
The below listed properties are to be sold via online auction beginning Friday, October 6, 2017 at 8:00 A.M. on http://www.centralauctionhouse.com/rfp.php?cid=65. Online bids will be received until Monday, October 9, 2017, 10:00 A.M. by the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government Purchasing Department. At 10:00 A.M. the online auction will end. Subsequent to the opening, the bid/bids will be evaluated by the appropriate party/parties and will be presented to the Parish President for awarding, rejecting, or holding for further advisement and/or evaluation.
Bid documents will be posted on http://www.centralauctionhouse.com/rfp.php?cid=65. To view these, download, and receive bid notices by e-mail, you will have to register with Central Auction House (CAH). The link for free registration is https://www.centralauctionhouse.com/registration.php. For information about the electronic submittal process, contact Ted Fleming with Central Auction House at 1-866-570-9620. Please contact Amanda Porche, Property Clerk at (985) 873-6765 with any questions regarding the bid documents.
Evidence of agency, corporate or partnership authority to submit a bid shall be required R.S. 39:1594(C) (4). The winning bidder shall, within 48 hours of the end of the auction, submit the following: a Certified Check, Cashier's Check, Money Order or Bid Bond with Power of Attorney (Letters of Credit WILL NOT be accepted) in the amount of twenty percent (20%) of the proposed price made payable to the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government. Failure to do so will result in bid being declared irregular and shall be cause for rejection. The bid deposit made with the winning bid shall be non-refundable.
The sale of subject property shall be "as is‑where is” with no warranties whatsoever as to the quality, condition or fitness for its intended use. The purchaser of subject property shall be required to execute and comply with the Acknowledgement of Conditions of Sale for Redevelopment of Mitigation Properties Purchased with CDBG Funds Agreement.
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Surplus sale of CDBG property located at 1427 Dr. Beatrous Rd, Theriot, LA 70397 |
10/09/2017 |
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Surplus sale of CDBG property located at 413 Jean Street, Houma, LA 70360. |
10/09/2017 |
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Surplus sale of CDBG property located at 415 Jean Street, Houma, LA 70360. |
10/09/2017 |
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Surplus sale of CDBG property located at 501 Harding Drive, Houma, LA 70364. |
10/09/2017 |
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Surplus sale of CDBG property located at 505 Middlewood Drive, Houma, LA 70363. |
10/09/2017 |
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Surplus sale of CDBG property located at 507 Madison Street, Houma, LA 70360. |
10/09/2017 |
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Surplus sale of CDBG property located at 511 Oakwood Drive, Houma, LA 70363. |
10/09/2017 |
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Surplus sale of CDBG property located at 515 Oakwood Drive, Houma, LA 70363. |
10/09/2017 |
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Surplus sale of CDBG property located at 5375 Grand Caillou Road, Houma, LA 70363. |
10/09/2017 |
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Surplus sale of CDBG property located at 600 Westview Drive, Houma, LA 70364. |
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Surplus sale of CDBG property located at 602 Westview Drive, Houma, LA 70364. |
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Surplus sale of CDBG property located at 603 Louis Drive, Houma, LA 70364. |
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Surplus sale of CDBG property located at 604 Westview Drive, Houma, LA 70364. |
10/09/2017 |
Please note the announcement below regarding a neighborhood meeting about the proposed use of 4 of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program buyout properties. These properties can only be used for open space uses and can’t be sold to any other than a nonprofit with a mission to preserve the land in open space. This project is planned to allow for gardening as a recreational activity and to hold stormwater. This community meeting is being held to recruit volunteers and get involvement from local community members in the development of the garden.
Good Earth Harvest Community Garden
Montegut – 109, 111, 113 and 112 Kennedy St.
September 28, 2017
5-6 PM
Montegut Fire Station, 1105 Highway 55
Keep Terrebonne Beautiful has successfully competed for a grant from Keep America Beautiful and Lowe’s to develop a community garden. This community garden is proposed to be located in Montegut on Kennedy Street. The preliminary plan in the grant assumed that Louisiana Sweet oranges, satsumas, figs, lemons and pecans would be planted on a portion of the site. The rest would be dedicated to vegetables.
Come help design the garden!
September 28, 2017
5-6 PM
Montegut Fire Station, 1105 Highway 55
This garden is meant to be benefit and be kept by volunteers in the community. The Pointe au Chien tribe has been active in promoting this concept and has generously agreed to lease the land and provide insurance. The harvest will be available to anyone in the community. What is grown and how it is designed is still to be decided. The grant is intended to pay for a watering system, grading, a landscape architect, off street parking and some of the plants and trees.
If you or an organization to which you belong want to assist in the planning, planting or maintenance of these trees and gardens, please come to this public meeting about the gardens to discuss what you would like to create.
The garden will be an extension of the Good Earth Harvest program that was started in 2016 when KTB and several other partner organizations planted 140 fruit trees in Terrebonne Parish. This garden will be planted on Parish owned properties purchased through FEMA buyouts after storm events. When the Parish purchases homes with FEMA funds, the properties must remain in open space use permanently. The Parish has few options for ownership transfer. This project will make use of these properties as productive community gardens.
If you can’t make the meeting but want to provide feedback, email keepterrebonnebeautiful@yahoo.com or call Wendy Billiot at 851-7578 or Brenda Babin at 873-0107. Donations of trees, stakes, tree guards, etc. welcome.
Call Jennifer Gerbasi in the Planning Department at 873-6565 if your organization is interested in similar activities on parish HMGP properties.
Advance Payments Allowed under NFIP Flood Insurance Policies for Harvey
For those who own a structure flooded in Harvey, the insurance companies have been given special permission to pay up to $20,000 to policy holders in advance of the final inspections and payment.
Advance Payment Opportunity One: Pre-adjuster Inspection
Once a policyholder provides a notice of loss, an insurer may offer an advance payment up to $5,000 after confirming coverages and deductibles and validating that the insured property has flooded. This can be done over the phone or email.
An insurer may offer a total advance payment of up to $20,000 if the policyholder also provides the following documentation:
1. Photographs depicting flood damage to covered property; and
2. Either:
a. Documentation verifying out-of-pocket expenses related to the repair; or replacement of covered property, such as receipts or canceled checks; or
b. A contractor’s itemized damage estimate.
Advance Payment Opportunity Two: Payment for Significant Damage
An insurer may offer a larger advance payment up to 50 percent of the contractor’s estimate prior to receiving a proof of loss if:
1. The insurer receives a contractor’s estimate of necessary repairs on an item-by-item basis for the insured property; and
2. A flood insurance adjuster retained by the insurer has inspected the insured property.
Full Advance Payment Guidance is Attached
Notes: These payments are not for Additional Living Expenses (ALE). The advance can be for buildings and contents. The issuance and acceptance of an advance payment does not constitute an admission of coverage under the policy. If the loss is determined not to be a covered loss, or if the advance payment exceeds the amount of the actual covered loss, the insured recognizes that they are not eligible for the payment and agrees to repay the advance payment (or portion thereof).
An Advance Payment Request template is attached for your use or reference.
Supply List for Those Returning to Flooded Homes
Many of Terrebonne residents will be all too familiar about what people might need after a flood to help the recovery on an individual or family level. Below is a list of items that Texas A & M developed to assist people during and after a storm. If anyone is unsure what to provide locally or send to Houston or our western Parishes, this list may be useful in deciding what to buy if sending money to an aid entity isn’t preferred.
If gas is leaking or the power lines are damaged, do not enter the home. Returning to a home after a flood or damaging storm, people will need items for cleaning up and making minor repairs as well as personal items.
Cleaning supplies:
Air freshener, 8- or 9-ounce can
Bleach, 82 ounces
Bucket, 5-gallon, with lid
Cleaner, household, 12- to 16-ounce bottle
Clothes pins, 50
Clothesline, 100 feet
Detergent, liquid laundry, 50 ounces
Disinfectant dish soap, 16- to 28-ounce bottle
Gloves, latex, 2 pairs
Gloves, work, 1 pair
Masks, N-95 rating, 5
Scouring pads, 5
Scrub brush
Sponges, 7
Towels, cleaning, 18
Trash bags, heavy-duty, 33- to 45-gallon, 24-bag roll
First aid kit:
Aspirin
Bandages, adhesive
First aid booklet
Gauze
Gloves, sterile, 2 pairs
Ointments, antibiotic and burn
Soap
Sunscreen, SPF 30
Thermometer
Wipes, antibiotic
Insect repellent that contains DEET
Medications, prescriptions
Personal hygiene items:
Hand sanitizer, alcohol based
Soap
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Towel, bath
Washcloth
Water (at least 1 gallon per person per day)
Sturdy shoes (with toes and hard soles)
Tarp, to cover roof damage or use as an outdoor shade
Tools
Ax
Chain saw for clearing trees
Hacksaw
Hammer and nails
Pliers
Screwdriver
Wrench
Rope
Food and snacks:
If there is no running water, buy foods that require little or no water in preparation. Choose low-salt foods to help minimize thirst.
Many foods need no cooking—breakfast cereal, granola bars, cookies, crackers, jerky, ready-to-eat meats in cans or pouches, canned vegetables, peanut butter, trail mix, canned meals such as spaghetti/pasta, canned infant formula, and baby/toddler foods in jars.
Hard candy will help keep the mouth moist if water supplies are limited.
Vitamins.
Buy nonperishable (dry) foods for pets.
Food storage and preparation supplies:
Manual can opener
Metal pans and cooking utensils for cooking on a fire or grill
Aluminum foil and plastic wrap
Plastic forks, knives, and spoons
Paper napkins and plates
Storage bags for food
Paper towels
Garbage bags for disposing of trash
Ice chest—ice will probably be available at an emergency supply distribution center
Parishwide Meeting for LA SAFE August 1, 2017
Please join us at the Civic Center for the next Terrebonne Parish LA SAFE meeting. You and your neighbors will turn the vision for your community into real plans for your parish. These plans will be funded through the LA SAFE program and go towards helping build a stronger future for your community. The plans will have proposed projects, programs, and policies specific to each parish. This is an opportunity to provide concrete proposals or areas to investigate to create projects or policies to achieve the level of safety and security identified by Terrebonne Parish residents in the earlier meetings. What are your solutions or steps that you would want the parish to take to shape the community in years to come? Be involved as we sharpen our focus to continue planning for future conditions. Your participation and ideas will fuel our momentum; each and every idea is taken in by the LA SAFE team and goes directly towards the final plans, which you all are helping to create.
We will begin at 6 p.m., and we want to hear your thoughts and ideas! Pilot projects will be selected from those adaptation plans at the end of the planning process. Six parishes will receive an allocation adding up to $40M. Don’t miss this opportunity to give your opinion about the best use of funds provided to Terrebonne.
Dinner will be served a bit before start time. To arrange for child care or transportation, please call 504.517.5292 five business days in advance. Children are welcome to sit at the tables and participate as well.
August 1
Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center
346 Civic Center Blvd., Houma
6-8 PM
Severe Repetitive Loss and Repetitive Loss Property Application Opening
Get Your Insurance and Quotes Now!
Terrebonne Parish announces that it is accepting applications for elevation, relocation, demolition, and demolition reconstruction for Severe Repetitive Loss and Repetitive Loss properties. This is a nationally competitive application, but the Parish has been successful in competing in the past and is optimistic that the programs will be awarded funding again. FEMA has announced a record $250M available through the Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs, and the Parish hopes to help as many people as possible. $90M is available for SRL and RL properties, and $160M is available for Community Flood Mitigation Projects between the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Predisaster Mitigation (PDM) grant programs.
Programs for Individual Applicants
The applications for Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Predisaster Mitigation (PDM) grant programs will open officially on August 14, 2017. The Parish will accept applications from individuals through September 15th, 2017. Eligible properties will receive an invitation through the mail if the insurance company address is correct.
FEMA determines which structures are eligible to apply for funding.
FEMA designates properties as Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) properties if the insurance policy holder has:
a. Made two or more flood claims that combined are in excess of 100% the structure value; or
b. Made 4 claims of at least $5,000, including two within in a 10-year period.
SRL applicants can receive up to 100% funding for the project.
A repetitive loss property, for the purposes of these grants, has been damages greater than 50% of the value of the property by two or more storms. Repetitive Loss properties owners will be required to provide 25% of the total project cost, while the federal grant, if awarded, covers 75%.
The Parish will consider acquiring properties that are outside the Morganza to the Gulf footprint, but not those within the footprint.
Structures in the V zone are not eligible for the demolition rebuild option, but can elevate, demolish, or relocate outside the floodplain with the FEMA grant funds.
Parish Projects
Community Flood Mitigation Projects are eligible this year for implementing proven techniques that integrate cost effective natural floodplain restoration solutions and improvements to NFIP-insured properties that benefits communities with high participation and favorable standing in the NFIP. Terrebonne meets the criteria and will be submitting the Living Mitigation Terraces project proposed for above Lake Boudreaux, the Petit Caillou Pump Station and Conveyance Channel project, and the Oyster Bed Surge Protection System for Lakes Chien and Tambour. Each of these projects is in some stage of engineering and could move forward quickly if funded. Up to $10M is available for each project under FMA and $4M under PDM. Any one Parish is limited to $15M of the PDM funds in any given year and the state may limit the number of projects proposed by any one Parish. For inquiries, call 873-6565.
Terrebonne Parish has been a leader in the elevation of structures to reduce flood risk. Recently, federal legislation has encouraged the structures to be demolished and rebuilt instead, particularly when it is cheaper. Terrebonne Parish is reaching out to people who are funded for elevation who have not moved forward to see if they would move forward if a new house was an option. Not everyone will be able to take advantage of this option as both the State and FEMA have to agree to change from elevation to a reconstruction. For example, properties will not be allowed to be demolished and reconstructed in the V Zone.
Reconstruction can have several benefits for the program and for the participants. Slab houses are heavy to lift, and need to be stabilized to hold that weight. A slab separation can replace the slab with a wood floor that is lighter to raise, but most people only like to use this method right after a storm as cabinets and walls need to be either taken out and reinstalled or cut and repaired. A demolition reconstruction results in a new structure that is built for the flood, wind and all new codes; all untouched by floodwater. People with a large family house might downsize to something more manageable in their retirement. Someone with a cracked slab might start over with a new structure and not worry about latent damage from multiple storms. It may be less expensive to build a new home than to elevate a large, heavy structure. Cost effectiveness will be key to whether this method is considered reasonable by the State and Federal grant programs. Adequate funding is always an issue as well.
Currently, 120 people are funded for elevation that have not moved forward for various reasons. Federal funding often requires that the homeowner pay 25% of the total project cost. That can be as much as $50,000 considering the size of the structures that are being lifted, and the height of the lift. Some people have access to insurance benefits called Increased Cost of Compliance which can provide up to $30,000 of that match. This process sometimes makes it unclear if people will actually receive the benefit as our major storms were in 2008, nearly a decade ago. It is the Parish’s intention to elevate or otherwise reduce the risk to as many people, homes and businesses as we can afford with the grant funds that we have or can earn in the future. If you are funded and have not moved forward, or have flooded repeatedly, call 873-6565 for more information or to fill out a letter of interest in elevation or demolishing the flood prone structure and rebuilding.
Upcoming Events
Protecting ourselves, our coast and our culture.
What has been done, and what remains?
This week LA SAFE and June 27th the Terrebonne Parish Coastal Day:
Following up on earlier parish-wide meetings, LA SAFE staff is holding meetings at three locations around the Parish this week. The goal is that in these open discussions residents will identify and prioritize programs that will help facilitate adaptation and support community needs. The state will take the information and develop a plan to capture parish priorities and projects based on environmental risk factors, economic sense, and social/cultural benefits. Food, childcare and transportation are available. Call 225-772-1372 for transportation to the LA SAFE events this week.
$40M HUD Grant to Louisiana Office of Community Development (OCD) for parishes with unmet needs from Hurricane Isaac in 2012; additional support from Foundation for Louisiana; continued efforts to leverage and expand resources.
Terrebonne Parish Coastal Day
June 27th, Terrebonne Parish will be providing an interactive showcase for the community to learn about Terrebonne Parish Coastal protections in place and planned for the future. The event is free and open to the public. Food, displays, and panel discussions regarding levees, floodgates, elevations, and marsh/barrier island restoration. Come. Learn. Share.
Here at the coast, we all know that our homeowner’s insurance policy doesn’t cover flood damage. People need a flood insurance policy to cover flood damage. What about flood compliance?
If a structure has been burned, damaged by a tornado, and suffered wind damaged and water damage from rain, a homeowner’s insurance policy may help the rebuilding more broadly than we generally think. Most know that the homeowner policy will pay to repair the house to the original condition. What is less known is that there is an additional coverage in many homeowner policies that will help with code compliance for damaged structures, not just putting the structure back to the original condition.
Commercial and homeowner’s policies may have options for “Ordinance and Law Coverage” that will pay for some or all of the new code requirements put in place since the original structure was built. This is an additional coverage that is usually purchased separate from the standard policy adding 10% to 20% of the base policy coverage to cover additional legal requirements when rebuilding.
In Terrebonne Parish, structures that are damaged by any cause to at least 50% of the assessor’s value of the structure are deemed to be “substantially damaged.” A substantially damaged home in the Special Flood Hazard Area would be required to meet current flood requirements. Outside the Special Flood Hazard Area, the plumbing code now requires that structures be built 18 inches above the centerline of the road to ensure that sewerage treatment functions properly. This could be triggered by a substantial damage designation as well. This may be covered by a Law and Ordinance endorsement.
Ordinance and Law Coverage may be available on the homeowner policy to pay for coming into compliance with this ordinance if the insurance policy is paying for a covered loss as well. It wouldn’t be available after a flood if that was the only insurance claim from an event, but it might help elevate the structure after a fire or wind event.
Ask your insurance agent if your policy has, or could have, a Law and Ordinance endorsement.
Parish staff are not insurance professionals and all questions should be directed to an insurance agent.
1 - The Parish uses the assessor’s database value to determine whether a structure is over 50% damaged, but people can bring an appraisal to refute that value.
Community Wide Meeting March 28, 2017
LA SAFE – Louisiana’s Strategic Adaptations for Future Environments
The Louisiana Office of Community Development and the Foundation for Louisiana have been in the Parish for several months now leading conversations about the future of Terrebonne Parish. The groups are gathering information in six parishes to help decide how to allocate $40 million won by the State in the National Disaster Resilience Competition sponsored by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Both residents and council members have met for focus groups and direct interviews to inform the help develop the Terrebonne Parish set of actions to adapt to our changing coastline and natural and manmade disasters.
Tuesday
March 28th at the Civic Center from 6-8 pm,
Food, childcare and transportation available.
The facilitators from Terrebonne Parish will assist the State in presenting the projections for the Terrebonne coastline and inland threats from flooding and other events. The goal is to share information and maps, and hear from the public about what they think of the projections and what residents want to do to adapt to the situation other than big levee and floodgate options. This could be common practices such as buyouts, elevations, reconstructions, or newer adaptations such as safer building practices, coastal restoration, or natural barriers – workforce development? All approaches and suggestions are welcomed. The best plan will take into account input from all residents in all different situations.
See attached for a further description of the six-parish effort and a flyer for this specific event. Post broadly within your circle to be sure that everyone is heard. Feel free to post at churches, community centers, businesses or hand out at civic events. All are welcome, and all have a perspective that needs to be captured.
FEMA sending letters to policyholders to clearly communicate flood risk
Please see the attached information from FEMA regarding mailings that will be going out to all policy holders. The Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 requires FEMA to clearly communicate true flood risk to individual property owners. To meet this requirement, FEMA is writing to all National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders to explain their current policy rating and discuss how and when Elevation Certificates can be useful. Because policies are not all rated the same and information varies, the letter encourages each policyholder to contact his or her insurance agent or company to discuss the letter and their specific insurance rating options. The letters are intended to be sure that the policy owners understand their flood risk, and the relationship between the cost of their policy and that risk. The letters also provide links to materials that have tips on how a homeowner might reduce their flood risk and lower their premiums.
The policy holders are not being asked to take any particular action, nor do the letters signify a change in the person’s policy. They are informative only. The letters are specific to the type of property owner, so to see each form letter content, go to https://www.fema.gov/cost-of-flood.
Call for Applications for Rental Elevations
Terrebonne Parish has been informed by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) that $1.6M in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding from Hurricane Gustav may be available to the Parish.
This funding will be earmarked for rental properties that are and have been used as single family year-round rentals or leases. This is an additional service beyond the residential elevations that have been funded with the Gustav FEMA HMGP funding.
Changes in the National Flood Insurance Program have put pressure on the rental market that serves the workforce and low to moderate income families. Rentals used as primary residences are considered second homes just like a vacation home that is used here and there throughout the year. This program aims at improving the safety and quality of life for these renters. There is an upfront cost to the owners that is difficult for many homeowners to bear, but may be a smart investment for a landlord.
The program will require a 25% match, and only properties that have been flooded repeatedly will be considered. The standard selection criteria will be in place should the demand be greater than the funding available. The structures with the most storms, the most damage, that are the most cost effective, and that serve the most people will take priority among other criteria.
The applicant must be the owner, and not the renter. Contact the Planning Department Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning (RAMP) Division for an application and more details.
985-873-6565 : 8026 Main Street, Second Floor, Houma, LA 70360
FEMA has been opening their applications in March or April to elevate, relocate, demolish or demolish and rebuild severe repetitive loss and repetitive loss properties.
The program for SRL properties is now 100%. These properties are designated as SRL by FEMA after they have flood damages equal to 100% of the value of the property, or 4 floods with paid claims over $5,000 each. However, applicants must have flood insurance180days prior to the application to be eligible to apply.
The Parish is willing to apply for buyouts for repetitive loss properties outside the Morganza to the Gulf footprint as well.
Repetitive loss properties are eligible for up to 90% of the total project cost including the cost of relocating while the structure is being elevated, moved, or built.
Remember to bring an elevation certificate to your insurance agent to see if you are eligible for any discounts at your current height. Elevated air conditioners and water heaters can earn discounts even if the structure still requires elevation.
FEMA said there are several steps homeowners with flood damage should take as they clear their homes.
The first step homeowners should take is to turn off power to the home at the main breaker box.
Then, take pictures of everything you can. You should stand in the middle of each room and take pictures in every direction.
As items are being removed from the home, have someone at the door making a list of every single item that leaves the home and save that for the claims process.
After items are outside, take photos of the debris piles.
FEMA says it is important to register for FEMA help as soon as possible so that an inspector can get to your home and begin the claims process. People can register by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by going online to www.disasterassistance.gov.
FEMA says the agency cannot duplicate insurance coverage. So, if your insurance coverages something, FEMA cannot also cover it. FEMA can, however, help with immediate needs such as housing, medication and vital items like wheelchairs or false teeth that might have been lost or damaged.
Other tips for FEMA and Insurance Claims:
Keep copies of all the pictures you have. Do not give your original pictures to the insurance agents or FEMA. Be sure to keep an electronic copy that is safe even if that means sending them to a relative elsewhere or a safe deposit box.
Write down everything you can, particularly if you did not have an inventory of the serial numbers and types of contents or fixtures in the house prior to the flood.
If your insurance company provides a check that you do not believe is what you should receive, call your agent. Before cashing the check, see if it is the final payment, or an interim check to help as the full claim is assessed.
Take your own pictures. Do not rely on FEMA or the insurance company to keep a photographic record of the damages.
If you disagree with the amount of money the insurance company wants to provide, communicate in writing with documentation showing the cost of repairs and damages. There are strict timelines, and even if you have spoken on the phone or written that it is “not enough,” without further information in writing showing how much you think the loss should be valued and why, you can lose your ability to receive the proper amount.
KEEP A COPY OF EVERY WRITTEN DOCUMENT from the insurance company, FEMA or from you.
Adapted from original article Tuesday, August 16th 2016, 1:00 pm CDTTuesday, August 16th 2016, 3:27 pm CDT WAFB Staff
Moist, fibrous materials and stagnant water provide the ideal climate for mold growth. However, according to disaster response officials, the risk of illnesses associated with exposure to mold following flooding can be reduced.
Large numbers of airborne mold spores can trigger allergic reactions, asthma episodes, infections and other respiratory problems. Exposure to high spore levels also can cause development of an allergy to mold, creating long-term problems.
The basic rule is, if you can see or smell mold, take steps to eliminate the excess moisture; then, cleanup and remove the mold by:
After cleaning, apply a disinfectant solution of household bleach (one-fourth cup bleach per gallon of water) to the surface. If the mold has already started to grow back, try a stronger solution: one-half gallon bleach in five gallons of water. A bleach solution should be applied with a handled garden sprayer. Thoroughly wet the studs, wall cavities and floors. Avoid excessive run-off. Use a wet-dry vacuum to collect extra bleach solution. Allow the bleach solution to dry naturally for a six- to eight-hour time period. The bleach solution should not be removed or dried quickly - extended contact time is important. A safety tip:
Molds can infiltrate Sheetrock, carpeting and insulation. When working around moldy areas, use respiratory protection. Individuals vary in their susceptibility to these substances, but almost anyone who breathes enough spores will have an adverse reaction. These reactions can include tightening in the chest, flu-like symptoms or even more severe reactions.
The following individuals appear to be at higher risk for adverse health effects of molds:
For more information, visit the following site:
http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/mold/
Courtesy of SD, 2010
Release date:
August 14, 2016
Release Number:
HQ-16-048-FactSheet
Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama's disaster declaration issued for the State of Louisiana.
Assistance for Affected Individuals and Families Can Include as Required:
How to Apply for Assistance:
Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.
Parish Gauging Interest for Funding Applications
FEMA has announced that it will make funding available for wind retrofits to increase the wind resistance capacity of structures.> The program is intended to “encourage wind mitigation of existing residential buildings in hurricane-prone regions.”
Various packages will be made available in Terrebonne Parish if there is a demand and funding is awarded.
Packages are available whether the roof covering is replaced, or not.> The program will:
The Fact Sheet and guidance documents are attached for your review.> Anyone interested in this opportunity should call 873-6565 for more information about the application process.
If there is sufficient interest in the program, and application will be developed for the 2017 funding cycle. The grant would be a Predisaster Mitigation Grant which is nationally competitive and requires a 25% nonfederal share. The nonfederal share will be paid by the property owner.>
In this unusual opportunity, substantially damages, repetitively flooded, and severe repetitive loss structures were purchased with HUD Community Development Block Grant funds and demolished or otherwise cleared from the land. The properties, unlike FEMA HMGP properties, can be sold for uses limited only by the law, homeowner association limitations, and grant requirements. See the attached list for the properties that will be auctioned off in June.
Preview: 5/20/2016 - 6/19/2016>
Bidding: 6/20/2016 - 6/22/2016 at 10:00 am>
Link to auction website:https://www.centralauctionhouse.com/List/Surplus
Like all of the Terrebonne Parish projects with federal funds, what will be rebuilt on these properties must be flood safe. Any new structures built on the property will have to carry flood insurance, and will be built without fill to the 2008 DFIRM maps or the ABFE 2006 maps, whichever is higher, plus 1 foot of freeboard.
The proceeds are called “program income” and must be expended on another project that serves low to moderate income beneficiaries. The state must approve of the use of the program income. It is likely that it will be used to complete Susie Canal Levee Extension, which is currently underfunded.
Please advise anyone interested in the properties to review these materials or call Purchasing or Recovery Assistance for more information (873-6754 or 873-6565).
State deadline extended. Parish Still Accepting Applications to elevate, rebuild, relocate or buy flood damaged houses!
The Parish is applying for funding to elevate, relocate, or buyout certain Severe Repetitive Loss (100% funded) or Repetitive Loss (90% funding) properties. FEMA has identified which properties are on the list, and the Parish has sent direct mail to the owners of those addresses. This year for the first time, FEMA has required that structures were insured as of March 15, 2016, so anyone who was not insured may not have received an invitation to apply.
Only those properties outside Morganza to the Gulf proposed footprint and not on leased land can be bought. No property in the V zone can be demolished and rebuilt with FEMA funds. Relocation requires that the owner purchase land outside the floodplain and transfer ownership of the original site, which will be kept as green space.
The state extended the timeframe that the Parish must submit the application draft. If any of your constituents call for assistance with the grant application, let them know that we have extended the application period to Monday, May 2nd.
The Parish accepts Letters of Interest in elevation all year, and will begin processing those applicants and any others responding to the recruitment materials immediately. Call 873-6565 for more information or to get a packet if needed.
The Parish will also be submitting applications for a drainage project for Petit Caillou, the Living Mitigation Project for Lake Boudreaux being developed with the US Corps of Engineers, and the Oyster Bed Surge Protection System project to protect the coastline near Lake Tambour or Chien.
The Parish will also be applying for some generators for critical facilities in order to keep continuity of service at the Government Tower, Police communications, and the Port.
These funds are competitive nationally, and there is no guarantee of funding.
Recently, fruit trees have been planted on Parish owned properties purchased through FEMA buyouts after storm events. Other properties have been planted with shrubs and trees that are good for bird habitat and food. All of these plantings should also reduce flooding in the immediate area.
Using the National Tree Benefit Calculator to look up the species planted, or one closely related, the 140 trees may take up 473,970 gallons of water over 10 years. This assumes that the trees are 1" in diameter now and will grow to 6" by year 10. Assuming they grow to 10 inches over 30 years, they would take up over 3 million gallons of water. That is enough to cover 10 acres one foot deep in water.
When the Parish purchases homes with FEMA funds, the properties must remain in open space use permanently. The Parish has few options for transferring ownership of the land. This project will make use of these properties as productive community gardens and stormwater sinks.
Properties that used to be sources of runoff from homes, slabs, driveways and patios will now take up water. Water will be used by the fruit trees, and the root system will stabilize the soils if the land is flooded.
The fruit will be available to anyone in the community. They will be able to go on site and pick it. The nonprofits, youth groups, or churches may opt to pick the fruit for local schools or food banks in the future.
Thanks to UPS for planting and funding this venture, Keep Terrebonne Beautiful for getting the funding and coordinating efforts, and Bayou Grace, BTNEP, Sowing Seeds, Wetland Warriors, the South Louisiana Wetland Discovery Center, and all others who took their time and energy to plant.
FEMA has announced the application period for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant programs: March 15 - June 15, 2016. These applications are available to repetitive loss (RL) and severe repetitive loss (SRL) properties. A repetitive loss property is one that has been flooded (as proven by flood claims) 2 or more times with damage adding up to 50% of the value of the structure. A severe repetitive loss property has flood damage over 100% of the value of the structure, or has flooded at least 4 times with at least $5,000 in damages each time. FEMA creates this list, and the Parish develops the application from those eligible.
The Parish recently sent reminders to Severe Repetitive Loss structures reminding them that the program for SRL properties is now 100%, and that they need to get or maintain flood insurance to be eligible to apply.
The Parish was most recently awarded $2.8M for 14 SRL property elevations and $4M for 23 RL elevations. We hope to submit at least as many structures this funding round.
The Repetitive Loss property program requires that the property owners provide 25% of the total project cost as a nonfederal match. It is unknown at this time if there will be funding for low to moderate income applicants to help with that match. If they are substantially damaged, they may be able to access up to $30,000 in insurance benefits (ICC) to help with the cost.
The Parish accepts Letters of Interest in elevation all year, and will begin processing those applicants and any others responding to the recruitment materials immediately.
Solutient, Inc. is under contract to prepare and submit the application and their staff will be available as of March 15th for property owners to ask questions, explain the program, or accept documents. The phone number is 857-4400.
PDM: The PDM program provides funds on an annual basis for hazard mitigation planning and the implementation of mitigation projects for the purpose of reducing overall risk to the population and structures, while at the same time, also reducing reliance on federal funding from actual disaster declarations. FEMA is making $90 million available for FY 2016 PDM grants.
FMA: The FMA grant program provides funds on an annual basis so that measures can be taken to reduce or eliminate risk of flood damage to buildings insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). FEMA is making $199 million available for FY 2016 FMA grants.
States, Tribes and Territories, or Applicants, must submit their PDM and FMA grant applications to FEMA via the Mitigation eGrants system (MT eGrants) on the FEMA Grants Portal on the Internet by 3 pm (ET) on June 15, 2016. The state will likely require Terrebonne Parish to provide the application May 15, 2016.
Terrebonne Parish is pleased to announce a cooperative effort to plant fruit trees on properties mitigated by the Parish. Area nonprofits are planting several types of fruit trees on properties purchased with mitigation funds. All of these properties can only be used for open space uses. Trees can provide not only fruit for the residents, but additional flood control by sequestering rainfall. Please see below and attached for the sites currently identified. The neighbors will receive notification of the plantings to invite them to participate. This serves a dual purpose of informing them of the activity so that noone will be alarmed.
A 2015 FloodSafe Minute introduced the National Tree Benefit Calculator that allows anyone to enter a tree type and size to see the water uptake of the individual tree as well as the estimated financial benefit and added property value. Go to >http://treebenefits.com/calculator/ to check it out.
For full information please download the attached flyer.
Fruit for the Communities - A Time to Sow
Keep Terrebonne Beautiful has successfully competed for a grant from UPS to plant 140 fruit trees in Terrebonne Parish. The grant was awarded for planting a community garden of fruit trees. Louisiana Sweet oranges, satsumas, figs, and lemons are being provided by a grower. Volunteers from Keep Terrebonne Beautiful, Bayou Grace, Sowing Community Seeds, South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center and BTNEP have organized plantings in February at various sites. If you or an organization to which you belong want to assist in the planting or maintenance of these trees, please call Wendy Billiot at 851-7578 or Brenda Babin at 873-0107.
February 11- 6877 Shrimpers Row 9:30 am BTNEP
- then 5123 Grand Caillou Road until ~ noon BTNEP
- 608 Columbus 9:30 Sowing Seeds
February 20- 520 Woodhaven 10:00 UPS
February 24- 1427 Hwy 55 10:00 Bayou Grace
These trees will be planted on Parish owned properties purchased through FEMA buyouts after storm events. When the Parish purchases homes with FEMA funds, the properties must remain in open space use permanently. The Parish has few options for transferring ownership of the land. This project will make use of these properties as productive community gardens.
The fruit will be available to anyone in the community. They will be able to go on site and pick it. The nonprofits, youth groups, or churches may opt to pick the fruit for local schools or food banks in the future.
Shovels and all materials will be provided if you do not have your own.
Each participant or observer must sign a waiver of liability for the Parish and nonprofits. BTNEP is also planting sites for bird habitat. Further updates to come.
Call Jennifer Gerbasi in the Planning Department at 873-6565 if your organization is interested in similar activities on parish HMGP properties.
As part of the 2017 Coastal Master Plan, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), in partnership with the Office of Community Development, will host a series of four Community Conversations in coastal Louisiana in early 2016 to share information about the Flood Risk and Resilience Program.
Attendees will learn more about future coastal flood risk; how the State, parishes, and residents can reduce this risk; and the State’s approach to residential elevation, commercial floodproofing, and this risk; and the State’s approach to residential elevation, commercial floodproofing, and voluntary acquisition.
Input received at these meetings will inform how CPRA’s Flood Risk and Resilience Program can be tailored to best meet the needs of local communities.
Each Community Conversation will include:
The Community Conversation schedule will be in Houma February 17, 2016.
February 17, 2016
Terrebonne Parish Public Library Main Branch
151 Library Drive
4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
For more information, please contact masterplan@la.gov.
Parish staff will attend to answer specific questions about risk reduction programs and resources.
We are past the official storm season and had no major event in 2015. Still, we need to be prepared for a flood at any time. Advance planning and research of options in the off season can save time and money, and lives, in future events. The range of damages after a flood can be major or minor. Minor flood damage can include a small amount of seepage in the walls or crawlspace, but that can cause permanent damage to the structure. Your car may also become flooded. No matter what the damage, keep these 20 flood safety tips in mind.
1.Wading Through Flood Waters
Wading through flood waters is dangerous for several reasons. First, flood waters can be moving at a rapid pace. Before you know it, you can be swept away and drown. Next, flood water can contain hundreds of different chemicals that are harmful for the body. In addition, bacteria and other microorganisms can cause disease and infection.
2.Driving in Flood Waters
Driving in flood waters is dangerous and risky. Cars can be swept away in just a few inches of water. You can become stranded, or worse – lose control and be swept into a waterway, other traffic, electric lines, structures, etc.
3.Keep Flood Insurance Policies up to Date
Flood insurance can protect you from an unexpected flood. Typically, the people that assume they do not need flood insurance are the people most affected by flood damages. > Contact an insurance agent for rates and insurance information.
4. Listen to Flood Stage Warnings
Every waterway has its own unique flood stage. Every single time a warning is posted for floods, be prepared. Flooding can come from the bayou, the gulf, or a heavy rain storm.
5.Understand the Dangers of Mold and Mildew
Mold after a flood can cause major problems even years after flood waters have receded. When hurricane Ike ravaged Texas, millions of tons of debris had to be removed because of growing mold and mildew problems.
6.Using Electricity After the Flood
Always remember that electrical lines and water do not mix. Standing in water and attempting to remove electrical wires is plain dangerous. Also remember that even if you do not have power in some locations in your house, not all the lines could be dead.
7.Handling Animals after a Flood
Snakes, rodents, and stray animals can be extremely dangerous after a flood. From bites to diseases, never handle or approach animals after a flood. Keep in mind that insects are also a nuisance after a flood and can carry diseases.
8.Wear Protective Clothing and Gloves
Always wear protective clothing and gloves after a flood. Chemicals, animals, and debris can cause serious illness or injury. It is also a good idea to wear a protective mask when cleaning up after a flood. Many of the chemicals or mold can cause respiratory problems.
9.Use Caution on Previously Flooded Roads and Bridges
Floods can damage roads and bridges. Unseen structural damage can mean it is not safe to drive on previously flooded roadways. Be sure that the area has been inspected by officials and approved for travel.
10.Get a Home Inspection to Assess and Document the Damages
Whether it is the insurance company, FEMA, or the local jurisdiction, make an effort to be sure that your damages are documented. Many people don’t make an insurance claim if they think the damage is near the deductible. 100% grant opportunities may be available to those who have four claims of $5,000 or more.
11. Inspect Your Septic Tank or Sewage System
If your house is flooded, so is your septic tank or sewage system. Raw sewage is extremely dangerous and can carry a multitude of infectious agents. Be sure your plumbing system is intact before resuming your daily routines in your home.
12.Drinking Water after a Flood
Unless you get an official okay from your township or city, do not drink the water. Whether you have a well, spring water, or city water, the system may have been contaminated by flood waters. Have a professional test your water after the flood to be sure. Until then, drink bottled water.
13.Lighting Candles in a Building
Candles are a staple of emergency equipment. Why would lighting a candle be bad after a flood? The main reason for not lighting a candle is the possible presence of flammable liquids such as oil and gasoline. Lighting a candle in a flooded building could create a fire emergency on top of the flood emergency.
14.Keep Immunizations Current
Have you had a tetanus shot in the last ten years? Are your immunizations current? Floods can cause diseases because of the mix of microorganisms within the flood waters. Keep yourself and your children current on their immunizations to prevent problems. Access to medical care may be decreased after an event.
15. Use Caution to avoid Carbon Monoxide Buildup
Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas. Keep generators and gas-powered heaters in areas with good ventilation. Also make sure your home is well ventilated during clean up. It is also a good idea to keep a carbon monoxide detector in the home.
16.Take Photos of Structures Inside and Out
I always recommend keeping a disposable camera in your emergency supply kit. Photos of damages can help you to make a claim to your insurance company after the flood is over. The photos can also be used to document the extent of the floods. Finally, you may even be able to learn how to better protect your home from another flood if you live in a flood prone area.
17.Have a Weather Safety Kit
Even a small storm can cause a loss of power for days. Not having power, especially in the winter months can be dangerous. Always have a weather emergency kit available. The kit can be stored in a large plastic bin and put in the corner of your garage or a closet. Maybe you will never use the kit, but maybe you will. Learn how to make a weather emergency kit.
18.Eating After a Flood
Foods in the pantry can be dangerous after a flood. High humidity and the spread of insects can cause even seemingly dry foods to become infested. Thrown out dry goods in boxes. Also throw out any foods that came in contact with the flood water.
19. Know Your Flood Risk
Is your structure lower than the suggested safe elevation (base flood elevation)?> An elevation certificate provided by a licensed surveyor, architect, or engineer will be required for flood insurance policy renewals.> It will also contain the projected height of flood at that specific location which could help the owner plan for storms.> For a quick look, go to maps.lsuagcenter.com/>floodmaps.
20.Lower your Flood Risk if Possible
Whether raising the water heater or air conditioning unit, putting electric appliances or valuables above the projected flood levels, or raising the whole house, there are ways to reduce losses if a flood does occur. Call the local floodplain manager at 985-873-6567 for information about lowering your flood risk.
Adapted from: Things You Should NEVER Do After a Flood
Flood Safety Tips for After the Floods
By Rachelle Oblack
Since the 2005 hurricanes, the inheritance process has become easier and less expensive for many people. There is now a simplified and less expensive affidavit process that may allow families to clear title quickly and without extensive research and legal fees.
For many families, the lack of clear title to inherited property created serious barriers to their recovery after hurricanes or a death or loss of income in the family. People who live on property passed down to them without a will or by family agreement, without using the legal system, do not have clear title to property. Owners without clear title cannot sell the property, use the property as collateral for a loan, or get federal or state disaster aid for home repair.
If you live on property you inherited, please call the Louisiana Civil Justice Center at 1-800-310-7029 or Louisiana Appleseed at 504-561-7304 to learn how you can get clear legal title to your property. Or visit >http://Louisiana.Appleseednetwork.org. A sample of the affidavit is attached as well as background information on the process.
The value you use on your flood insurance can make the difference between being eligible for a 100% or 90% grant, and not receiving grant assistance to elevate.
Terrebonne Parish recently submitted a request for elevation funds for 14 Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) or Repetitive Loss (RL) properties. These are properties that are targeted by FEMA due to either having been damaged to 100% or 50% of the fair market value respectively. Each of these structures will be funded at 100% or 90% if the Parish competes successfully.
The Flood Mitigation Grants are available each year. The list of eligible properties is created by FEMA based on the information the insurance company provides from flood policies. Some people will likely be on the grant next year, but this year missed out. Their houses were valued at more than the assessed value or appraised value, and therefore FEMA thought that they didn’t qualify. Since the Parish can only include qualified parties, these families couldn’t be included in the grant.
If you believe a structure should qualify, FEMA may require an appraisal which may cost up to $450. You may be able to work with your agent to lower the reported value now in preparation for next year’s application. Contact your insurance agent>.
Make Sure You Pay the Correct Surcharge
As of April 1, 2015, every new or renewed NFIP policy includes an annual surcharge required by the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 (HFIAA). The surcharge amount depends on the use of your insured building and the type of policy insuring the building, regardless of its flood zone or date of construction. Primary residences will pay $25.
If you or your agents don’t fill out the paperwork proving that the structure is a primary residence, you will be charged $250 instead of $25.
Policies for owner-occupied, single-family detached buildings and individual condominium units that are your primary residence will include a $25 HFIAA surcharge. If you have a contents-only policy for a rental unit that is your primary residence, it includes the $25 HFIAA surcharge. Policies for all other buildings include a $250 HFIAA surcharge.
To ensure that you pay the correct surcharge at renewal, you must complete and return a Verification of Primary Residence Status form to your flood insurance provider, which will mail you the form before it issues the renewal notice. You are required to respond within 30 days of receipt.
To receive the $25 HFIAA surcharge, you or your agent must submit one of the following with the form:
If your policy is coming up for renewal soon and you have not received the letter and form, or if you have misplaced it, please contact your insurance agent.
The surcharge will be kept in a reserve created to ensure that the National Flood Insurance Program can pay all flood claims after disasters without going into debt. FEMA states that this surcharge will offset subsidized policies still paid by structures built before the Flood Insurance Rate Maps were adopted for that jurisdiction.
The Last House Standing
Two interesting approaches are related to this phrase. One is an app to get the you social media gamers thinking about flood safety. It was released this summer to get tech users to have fun competing for flood safety superiority.
The game, Last House Standing, uses an innovative app to get the younger generation or any savvy user to compete for the safest construction. This may be as fun as flood outreach gets.
Each player gets $100,000 and three (3) minutes to build a house to withstand flood. The game is run, and the house that has received the least damage is the winner.
Produced by a Florida nonprofit, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, this app is trying to reach the next generation of homeowners and kids with fun, engaging techniques that also teach.
Email the attachment to the gamers in your life to test it out or download for free from the app store.
The other reference to the Last House Standing is cement homes. Interesting site if you want to check out these super solid homes at http://www.thelasthousestanding.org/.
Flood Mitigation Assistance Application Period Open
New Mitigation application open for Severe Repetitive Loss and Substantially Damaged Repetitive Loss Properties.
FEMA is providing up to $180,000,000 through the Flood Mitigation Assistance and Pre-disaster Mitigation programs for elevating storm damaged structures. These funds are awarded through a national competition, and are not already earmarked for the Parish.
The Parish will be sending invitations to apply to the owners of the Severe Repetitive Loss structures offering 100% of the funding to elevate those structures. Those eligible are pre-identified through FEMA. There are two different ways to qualify for SRL status. One is to have two floods that have damages greater than the value of the structure. The other is to have four floods, two within 10 years, of $5,000 or more in value. The second is, for the first time, prioritized lower than the 100% damage criteria, so the Parish may be awarded some and not others.
The repetitive loss structure applications are limited to $3M federal share, and are lower in priority for FEMA approval than any SRL property. Depending on the competitive strategy there will be a 10% -25% match requirement which will be the applicant’s responsibility. The Pre-disaster (PDM) funds are largely reserved for planning activities this year, also limiting the potential for awards. Terrebonne recently completed the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, and therefore will not apply for planning funds at this time.
Applicant inquiries about the program should be directed to the application manager, Solutient, at 985-857-4400. Only those on the FEMA list of eligible applicants can apply, though the Parish will always accept letters of interest.
New Website Helps People Select the Right Trees for Stormwater Management and Adding Curb Appeal
Terrebonne Parish and the U.S. Corps of Engineers have partnered to do a study and develop plans for Bio Shields to lessen the effect of storm surge and provide wind break as well. Part of this process will be to identify tree, brush and grass species that will grow and meet the needs of the project. A new web site can help planners and the general public choose the right tree to help control water on property. This could be used to decide what to plant, or decide if you really want to cut down that tree in the back part of your lot.
The calculator , available at >http://www.treebenefits.com/calculator/ , is very easy to use. Select a tree variety, put in the approximate diameter of the trunk, and click on “calculate.” For a live oak 45 inches across, the results show us one reason they are a favorite tree in Southern Lousiana.
One large live oak can intercept 21,137 gallons of stormwater runoff in a year and reduce 1,096 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air. The summary shows a $266 benefit each year.
The calculator shows the overall benefits in a chart and separate tabs for Storm Water, Property Value, Energy, Air Quality, and CO2.
A 15” diameter Southern Magnolia can intercept 2,531 gallons of stormwater per year (15” Live oak: 3,929; 15” Pecan 3,750; Leuland Cypress – 45” 16,210, 15” 2,450, 15” White Pine, 2,450).
Check out the site and put in a tree you have been meaning to plant or to cut. Make an informed decision about the work that tree is performing for stormwater management. The water will go somewhere. Having trees in that low spot in the back of the property may help it stay drier, and provide shade and wind break.
Take Advantage of End of the Year Sales to Get Supplies for Pet Evacuation
It is always a good time to think about flood safety and our furry, feathered or slippery housemates.
When you evacuate take your pet with you! Call hotels ahead of time to find out which ones accept pets.
Choose a designated pet caregiver who will be responsible for picking up your pet if an evacuation is necessary when you are not at home. This caregiver should have keys to your home and know the location of your pet survival kit (see kit materials below).
If you have a pet rescue sticker on your house be sure to either remove it or write 'evacuated' across it when you evacuate.
Assemble a pet survival kit to bring with you including:
The National Flood Insurance Program has developed a series of educational videos online to educate the public on flood risk. With the extensive levee system in place in Terrebonne Parish, education about the strengths and potential failures of the levees may seem like common knowledge, but we can always learn more. The live link in the attachment provides a graphic video with audio regarding levees and making a plan for those living near levees.
Coming Soon!
As part of the Terrebonne Educational Video Series, a Levee Safety Video is in development. It will be available on tpcg.org. You can find the following videos on this site right now. Search for "educational videos" from the home page for the listing and links. These may help people understand their risks and opportunities in Terrebonne Parish.
Public Notice
Public Meeting Announcement
Terrebonne Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
Come and comment on the Hazard Mitigation Plan!
The Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government is updating the parish’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. With input from the steering committee, the public, and state and national data centers, the plan is ready for review. The purpose of the plan update is to identify and prioritize future efforts to reduce our risk of damages from natural hazards like floods and wind events.
Parish staff will be available to answer questions or take comments at a public meeting October 6th from 5:30 – 7:30. The public comment period will be open for two weeks. The public is encouraged to attend to provide feedback. All previous meeting presentations and drafts are available at >www.tpcg.org/hmpu. See Meeting IV for the draft plan and associated attachments.
Monday, October 6th, 2014 at 5:30 pm
Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum
7910 Park Ave.
Houma, LA 70360
Please direct questions about the meeting to Jennifer Gerbasi, at (985) 873-6565. The setting is informal and children are welcome. Council Members and attendees are welcome to stop by for cheesecake and beverages after the committee meetings if time permits.
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The plan is available in the Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning office, 8026 Main Street, Second floor from 8-4:30 weekdays. The Draft Plan and all meeting agendas and notes are available at >www.tpcg.org/hmpu. Comments may be emailed to >Nicole.Cutforth@cbi.com with a cc to >jgerbasi@tpcg.org.
FEMA'S NATIONAL PREPAREATHON! DAY
SET FOR SEPTEMBER 30TH
Are you prepared for a storm event?
Participate in this nationwide event and find out.
While many Americans understand the importance of preparing for emergencies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates roughly half have not discussed or developed a family emergency plan. During national preparedness month, FEMA is urging everyone to be smart, take part and prepare.
National PrepareAthon! Day is set for Tuesday, Sept. 30. It's a call for individuals, organizations and communities to prepare for specific hazards through drills, group discussions and exercises. The goals are to help individuals understand which disasters could happen in their communities, know what to do to be safe and mitigate damage, take action to increase preparedness and participate in community resilience planning. FEMA states that, so far, more than 13 million Americans have registered to participate.
Open the attachment for more links or to launch a local group exercise.
Go to register: >http://www.community.fema.gov/connect.ti/AmericasPrepareathon/register
Storm season starts officially June 1, and who knows what is ahead? Are you ready?
Get a Plan
You and your family need to know what to do in response to a storm. Where will you go? Who should family members call if you are separated? Are there food, water and medical supplies for your time out of the house and when you return? Are all of your most important documents (including bills that are due) in a floodsafe and firesafe place or ready to be carried with you?
If you don’t know where to start, FEMA has very simple forms to fill out to get all your important information in one place. This website is written for families and has answers, forms and activities for kids and parents. The attachment is the communication form from this site. http://www.ready.gov/kids
Get Insured!
It is also a great time to get insured. The Severe Repetitive Loss elevation program application period is open, but you can’t get funded unless you have a policy in place by June 27, 2015. This can take several weeks to get in place, so call an agent NOW! to get started. Be sure that you get your application in before a storm is brewing somewhere in the Gulf.
Go to https://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pages/residential_coverage/rc_overview.jsp for FloodSmart.gov for more information about the insurance available for residences, condos, renters, and businesses.
To help kids feel that they have a part in protecting themselves in a disaster situation, the Department of Homeland Security has created a website with tools and suggestions. Colorful characters Ray, Gayle, Misti, Sonny, and Raina show kids how to make a plan, what to put in an emergency kit, and other useful information. This is a part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Youth Preparedness Program with tips for kids, parents and educators. Share this link with friends and family to help kids get ready, and feel more secure. the site is available in english and spanish at this time. http://www.ready.gov/kids
People could save a lot by choosing a slab separation if they are elevating a house. A slab separation allows the contractor to cut the house from the slab, build a new subfloor, and elevate the lighter house. This provides a floor that has no flood damage, and a lighter structure to lift and stabilize. This method is cheaper and can help the homeowner save on the required match (25% of the total project cost, generally).
The “drawback” is that the flooring is lost, and cabinets and the bottom of the walls have to be removed and then put back in place. This happens in many homes after a storm, but by the time the federal grants for elevation arrive, the walls, tiles, and cabinets are already replaced and the slab elevation is more attractive. This can add years of delay and $20,000 - $35,000 to a home elevation. This is inefficient and leaves the home and improvements at risk of flood unnecessarily while the owner waits on grant funds for the most expensive elevation type.
The Parish is working with state and federal staff and national groups in attempts to receive grant funds from disasters closer to the time that insurance payments are received. This would make it easier for people to lower their flood risk while they rebuild. Emergency repairs need to happen immediately, but often much more rebuilding happens without mitigation. Those repair investments sometimes preclude cost effective mitigation methods like slab separation and could put the Parish at risk of not complying with the National Flood Insurance Program. If successful, federal grants will be available to elevate a flooded structure at the same time it is being repaired.
For more information, go to http://www.fema.gov/pdf/rebuild/mat/sec5.pdf, download “Homeowner’s Guide to Retrofitting,” FEMA P-312, Second Edition, December 2009, or check it out of one of the local libraries. This guide covers six (6) options for retrofitting a house to avoid flooding. Slab separation is on page 12 of the attachment (page 98) and in Chapter 5 of the book.
The hurricane season is months off, but it is always good to prepare. Getting flood insurance now will also lock in other benefits. Some federal programs require the home to be insured 180 days prior to the grant application being offered. The Hazard Mitigation Assistance yearly grant program usually opens on June 1, so get your insurance now!
Increased Cost of Compliance, or ICC, is a benefit of any National Flood Insurance Program backed flood insurance policy that may provide up to $30,000 to elevate, relocate or demolish the structure. This insurance benefit is only available to those who have made a certain number of claims.
Call your agent now to be sure that you can take advantage of grants, ICC, or other benefits that may be offered by the state or federal government agencies.
Concern over insurance rates is increasing as questions about the Biggert-Waters Act remain unanswered, and uncertainty is the result. Remember that in the background, the Planning Department continues to pursue avenues to protect or increase our discounts, and provide ways for residents and builders to retrofit or build in ways that will reduce that insurance bill.
The attached document is a FEMA bulletin that outlines building practices that reduce risk. These practices also help the Parish residents save on insurance since FEMA runs the National Flood Insurance Program as well. The proposed changes to the parish Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance embrace these practices to protect the 20% discount we have now, and possibly increase that discount when we need it most. The sections of text in bright blue are specific recommendations for the ordinance (freeboard described below, open foundations, ductwork and mechanics above the flood risk, and limits on enclosures).
Below is a sample of the savings that is possible above and beyond this discount from “freeboard,” or building higher than the base flood elevation (BFE). The BFE is the minimum height that a structure can be built in the flood zone. Requiring a higher elevation through the ordinance will help protect the parishwide discount, and the discounts below for individual houses. The savings is so great that the mortgage (even before the increased rates expected) cost per month is lower even though the initial cost of building is an estimated .25%-1.5% higher.
Please contact me at 985-873-6565 if you have questions about this information.
$160,000 house with a 6.5% interest loan over 30 years.
Government Tower
8026 Main Street, Suite 202
Houma, LA 70360
jgerbasi@tpcg.org
(985) 873-6565
Monday - Friday
8:00 AM to 4:30 PM