Mitigation Options
Floodproofing your Home or Business
There are several different options for avoiding future flood damage. The first is to build to code above the estimated height of future floods (the Base Flood Elevation or BFE). For existing properties, Elevation, Relocation, Mitigation Reconstruction, Demolition, and Home Purchase by the Parish (Acquisition) are the most common methods to avoid future flood damage. Below is list of the topics for more information about the programs available.
Elevation
One of the most common ways to avoid flood damage is to raise the structure higher than the water is expected to rise. There are several ways to accomplish this goal.
Ways to elevate your house:
Slab Elevation: Lift the house on the slab to the proper elevation.
Slab Separation: Cut the house from the existing slab, build a new raised floor and elevate.
Block and Pier Elevation: No alterations to the foundation necessary. Lift to new height. For the raised homes, it will be necessary to add stairs and deck platforms, and extend plumbing, electrical and gas lines. Some of the funding programs can assist with adding elevators if documentation from a medical professional regarding a medical condition requiring an elevator is provided.
Second Story Conversion: Build a second story for living quarters and alter the first floor to allow flood waters to flow through without damaging the structure.
Wall Extensions: Extend the walls and raise the windows, doors and floors.
Floor Elevation: In some homes, the ceiling is sufficiently high to raise the floor alone.
In some cases, a home has become so badly damaged that it cannot be elevated safely or rebuilding the home will be more cost effective than elevating. You may be eligible for ICC funding for demolishing the current home and the portion of the cost of the replacement elevated structure.
Some properties are not structurally sound enough to elevate, but are required to be mitigated through the floodplain ordinance. The choices for properties that are determined to be "substantially damaged" are to elevate, relocate or demolish the structure. This funding is NOT available for properties that are required to be demolished through a condemnation process.
Funding
There is funding available to demolish as part of another program or through the Federal
Increased Cost of Compliance (Federal Program) program. The permit required for demolition is free of charge. ICC can be used for Demolition alone or combined with other programs.
Public Assistance Demolition Program
If your house is a safety hazard due to Hurricane Ida and needs to be demolished, call 888-727-0228 to see if your structure is eligible.
Repair
Funding
For repair programs or low interest loans to rebuild a house, the following programs are or will be available to low to moderate income single family home owners:
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 318-473-7630
The RestoreLA program is also concentrating their repair and demolition reconstruction program on low income residents. To fill out a survey, or for more information go to https://restore.la.gov/ . Hurricane Ida funds are not ready yet, but you can learn about their programs.
Home Purchase by the Parish (Acquisition)
Under certain circumstances the Parish will buy properties from residents to help them have a new start in another location. The properties need to be able to prove storm damages.
Funding is available to actually move the building to a new location on the property that is high enough to be above the flood elevation or to a new piece of property.