[StBernard] Times Picayune Urges Adoption of Flood Advisories

[Westley Annis]

Note: Occasionally, the LRA will share editorials about the recovery. This one appears in today's New Orleans Times-Picayune.


Times Picayune Urges Adoption of Flood Advisory in St. Bernard Parish, Cites LRA's Efforts to Encourage Safe Rebuilding


TIMES-PICAYUNE EDITORIAL: Adopt flood advisory
Thursday, March 22, 2007

St. Bernard Parish, which was one of the communities hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina, has yet to adopt post-storm flood advisories proposed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

But Parish Council members are finally coming around. They are holding public hearings and are expected to adopt the new policy at their April 3 meeting. That's a welcome development. 


FEMA issued the advisories last spring to steer homeowners away from slab-on-grade construction by requiring that new homes and property with severe damage be raised at least 3 feet above grade or to the base flood elevation, whichever is higher. The Louisiana Recovery Authority is appropriately requiring communities to adopt the advisories to be eligible for state money to rebuild public infrastructure. 

To see the entire editorial, click here:

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/editorials/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1174543631273560.xml&coll=1 <http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/editorials/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1174543631273560.xml&coll=1> 



Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated South Louisiana, claiming 1,464 lives, destroying more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses and inflicting about $25 billion in insured losses. The Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) is the planning and coordinating body that was created in the aftermath of these storms by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to lead one of the most extensive rebuilding efforts in the world. The LRA is a 33-member body which is coordinating across jurisdictions, supporting community recovery and resurgence, ensuring integrity and effectiveness, and planning for the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana.

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