[StBernard] St. Bernard Parish president discusses flood insurance maps, hurricane recovery

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Parish president discusses flood insurance maps, hurricane
recovery

Print Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune By Benjamin
Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune 
St. Bernard Parish President Dave Peralta on Tuesday provided a breakdown of
homes that will be affected by impending flood insurance map changes. He
told the Parish Council that only 5 percent of the parish's residents will
be in a worse flood insurance zone after the map changes.

"While it has been reported throughout the metropolitan New Orleans area
that there exists opposition to the latest FEMA flood maps, a comprehensive
review of our areas reveal that approximately 50 percent of our residents
will see no change in their rating, (and) 45 percent will see better
ratings," Peralta said. "Considering what the rest of the metropolitan area
is experiencing, St. Bernard did very well."

Still, both Peralta and Chief Administrative Officer Jerry Graves said that
the positives in terms of the flood maps do not negate the negatives that
are expected in St. Bernard via the Biggert-Waters Act.
"We are in constant contact with our congressional delegation developing a
strategy to possibly eliminate this legislation, or at least delay
implementation," Peralta told the Parish Council.

The Biggert-Waters Act was signed into law in 2012. It will eliminate flood
insurance subsidies to homeowners, as well as the practice of
"grandfathering," which allowed properties built in accordance with previous
standards to maintain their current insurance rates.

The end of federal subsidies means insurance rates will more accurately
reflect the current risk of flooding to property, which will cause premiums
to skyrocket for many homeowners. The legislation was presented as an
attempt to make the debt-ridden national flood insurance program fiscally
sound.

In other news, Peralta said that "after much discussion about FEMA projects
yet to be completed in the area" with Mike Womack, the new director of
FEMA's Louisiana Recovery Office, that "Womack informed me that he is
putting together a team of FEMA representatives that will be specifically
assigned to projects in St. Bernard."

Peralta said he will work with Womack to bring the remaining Hurricane
Katrina-era projects to conclusion. Mainly, those projects include roadwork
and sewer repairs, as most of the major infrastructure projects were
concluded with the recent completion of the courthouse renovations.

Also at the Parish Council meeting, Peralta announced that the St. Bernard
Community Health Center will open on Friday in the medical office building
of the new St. Bernard Hospital. That clinic will serve low-income patients
and others through a sliding fee scale.