Federal flood advisories that are key to New Orleans area residents' decisions on rebuilding are to be released Wednesday, federal Gulf Coast recovery coordinator Donald Powell said at a news conference.

Inside the protected levee system it will be the same as 1984, or a min of 3 feet above the ground grade whichever is greater.

If your home is in A-3 in Lakeview the BFE is -2.5, if your lowest ground grade is -6.00 then you will have to have your home at -2.5 since 3 feet higher than the lowest grade is -3.00.

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From your numbers, I assume these refer to substantial damage (over 50%). I have read the FEMA releases and they keep referring to the substantially damaged properties. We had ours reduced to 25% and have received our permit. We are going forward under the assumption we will still be insurable for flood. Does this sound right?

What is your current flood elevation on your home? and what is the bfe for your home?

I also have heard the references to "substantially damaged".

Our BFE is -2.5 and the house is at -1.5. Not sure what the HEAG (highest existing adjacent ground) is, but our damage assessment was under 35%...based on my understanding (which could be wrong), I believe that we don't have to do anything and will continue to get flood insurance at the current rates (plus any increases allowed by law).

Do you think this is an accurate interpretation?

Thanks!

From our survey we are -2.71 feet with BFE of -2.5. We are in process of raising at least 7 inches ( 1 cinder block) during a needed leveling of our home. We are on piers, but prices for serious raising are prohibitive for us at this time. The slight raising will put us above the BFE according to our elevation survey. The prices from the major firms that raise, were generally around $25.00 per sq ft. We have a 2000 sq ft footprint, and no way to access any of the ICC money because we got our damage assessment changed. Is there anybody that has been quoted any less expensive prices?

You should be ok.
once you get it to -2.5 and since you were below 50% you won't have togo any higher than that.

I spoke with a FEMA representative yesterday at a serminar on Building Code changes in the State in response to Katrina/Rita. She confirmed that IF your home was determined to be less than 50% damaged, you CAN rebuild at your exsiting elevation and still obtain insurance under the NFIP. She indicated that you document the damage determination (in writing, or a print of that City website) for future records (e.g. when you sell the house).

My parents house was determined to be less than 50%, and they want to rebuild. My in-laws home was determined to be more than 50%. They decided to leave New Orleans and have bought a home here in BR.

Hope this helps.

I've read virtually nothing on if the grade elevation data of a specific lot is available or if each individual needs to hire a surveyor to get this. Also, when flood maps show the maximum depth of Katrina water at a specific address, (mine is 9.2'), is this above BFE, grade level, street level, , Missippippi River Cairo Datum, MSL or what. I need to know how high to build ABOVE MY LOT HEIGHT to avoid another levee break.

I live at 421 48th St. When numbers are bandied about, it would be awfully nice if simple English were used.

Anyone have any of this information!

Thanks,

Mike Carroll

To get official numbers for your lot, you'll have to hire a surveying company, but for just rough numbers to think about, you can do a little arithmetic. I just had a survey done on my raised house in Lakeview and my floor happened to come out just at sea level. From this, the yellow bathtub ring where water sat the longest is at +1.5 and the high water mark is at +4.

So, if 9.2 feet was the high water mark in your street, that location is
+4 - 9.2 = -5.2
as a rough estimate.
Find the bathtub ring in your house and think of that as 1.5 above sea level. You should be able to figure out what the floor is. And your floor needs to be about -2.5 to be above BFE.

Hope that helps.

- Heidi

Mike:

I am presuming that your residence has been deemed more than 50% damaged since, according to FEMA, residences with less than 50% damage may rebuild at their current elevation and still participate in the NFIP. If you are more than 50% damaged, then yes, you will have to determine your finish floor elevation to see if you require raising your home. If you have access to the survey from when you bought your house, that data should be there. If not, you will need to get a surveyor to establish your finish floor elevation and the HEAG.

As to the data given on the many Katrina flood depth maps out there, it is, at best, general in nature and sketchy. For my parents house I found maps indicating anywhere from 9 feet to 10.5 feet of standing flood water. In reality, the maximum high tide line (not the initial surge line) was 8 feet, 3 inches above their slab. Where all those map numbers were generated from, I do not know. Centerline of street? Edge of property? But they seem to denote actual depth of water, and are not correlated to BFE, NGVD, MSL.

I know that's not much, but I hope it helps.

We are new to the Lakeview community. We recently purchased a home on Memphis Street and are concerned with the uncertainty of possibly having to raise our home. The damage assessment is 32.04% according to the damage assessment report. With the new flood maps coming out, are we safe to assume that we do not have to raise our home? It is a raised house (approx 3 feet) and had about 5.5 feet of water inside the house. We were advised to assume the previous owner's flood policy. If we are required to raise the house, would we be eligible to use the ICC money since we did not purchase a new policy?
Can anyone please help out with some answers?

Q&A

April 13, 2006

Q. Is this good news or bad news for the New Orleans area?
A. It's good news for anyone who owns a raised home that is both above the base flood elevation and 3 feet or more above the grade, or ground around it, because such a home already meets the new elevation standard. Federal officials did not make any changes to the base flood elevations for the entire New Orleans area inside the levee system, a pleasant surprise to homeowners who feared Katrina might cause dramatic increases. Not changing the base flood elevation signals recognition by federal officials that the devastating flood was a result of problems with the design of the levee system, particularly flood walls. But the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which runs the National Flood Insurance Program, did send a message with its proposed "3 feet above grade" requirement. The rule essentially means that FEMA is trying to phase out slab homes built at street level, because they typically are the most flood-prone.
Q. Which homeowners are affected by the new advisories?
A. Theoretically, none, at least until the rules are officially adopted by local governments, a process that could take up to two years. Under the law, a homeowner is still eligible for flood insurance provided he meets the standard in place -- currently, the 1984 elevations -- the day his building permit is issued. Federal officials, however, are recommending that homeowners use the new standard as a guide to rebuilding. And state officials also have said repeatedly that all homeowners who received "substantial damage," defined as repairs that will cost at least half the home's value, will have to build to the new standards to be eligible for rebuilding grants. In addition, state officials have said that homes that are less than 50 percent damaged must undergo a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether they must be elevated before their owners can receive grants.
Q. How do these elevation standards compare to those on the books now?
A. They are essentially the same, with one major difference: If the advisories are followed, and become law, all new homes -- and heavily damaged ones that are being renovated -- must be built at least 3 feet off the ground and conform with the 1984 base flood elevations. Previously, new homes needed to be built only to base flood elevation, meaning slab-on-grade construction was permissible for homes on high ground.
Q. What if I go ahead and renovate now? Will I be hurt in the future?
A. Homeowners who have enough insurance money to renovate now can, but they should understand the rules. A homeowner with less than 50 percent damage can renovate regardless of the home's elevation, but if that elevation is below the minimum elevation standard, flood insurance premiums can increase by up to 10 percent annually to account for the additional risk. A homeowner with more than 50 percent damage cannot renovate unless the home is raised to meet the base flood elevation. But proceeding now would exempt that homeowner from having to meet the "3 feet above grade" proposal, even though officials are recommending it as a smart way to rebuild. The owner of a badly damaged home also can appeal that assessment. If he or she is successful and the damage assessment is lowered to less than 50 percent, the home can be renovated regardless of elevation. Again, officials are recommending that owners meet the higher standard when possible to prevent future flooding.
Q. I had no flood damage. Do I have to do anything?
A. No. Even if you live in a flood plain, you would be grandfathered in and exempt from the "3 feet above grade" rule, once it is adopted. It would apply only if your home suffered substantial flood damage in the future.
Q. Are there any areas of the metro area more affected than others?
A. Yes. Even within the bowl of New Orleans, for example, some neighborhoods are lower than others. In any neighborhood where the ground level is substantially below the base flood elevation, such as parts of Gentilly and eastern New Orleans, owners of substantially damaged homes could face the prospect of raising homes several feet to meet the rules. For example, if a badly damaged home sits 12 feet below sea level and the base flood elevation is 4 feet below sea level, simply putting the house on 3-foot piers would not be enough. It would need to be on eight-foot piers to meet the elevation standards.
Q. Does this plan include money to strengthen the levee system?
A. It depends heavily on a better levee system. The plan calls for an additional $2.5 billion in improvements to certify the levees protecting 98 percent of the residents in the New Orleans area. It includes plans to rebuild up to 36 miles of the 56 miles of flood walls in the area, armoring the levees, flood-proofing pump stations so they are operational during a storm and moving pump stations to the lake in Orleans Parish. This is in addition to ongoing projects aimed at repairing levees to pre-Katrina strength and adding hurricane gates to the 17th Street, Orleans and London drainage canals.
Q. What effect does this have on lower Plaquemines Parish?
A. While most Plaquemines Parish residents are protected within the levee system, the plan does not include the $1.6 billion needed to certify the levees in the lower parts of the parish, home to roughly 2 percent of the parish's residents. Without levee certification, buildings would have to be raised on high piers and flood insurance would be expensive. Federal officials said lower Plaquemines remains under study and no decision has been made on how to proceed.

I am in the boathouses area on breakwater drive, my flood zone is
V16. I am going to elevate 3ft. so, on the numbers that you did
for others on this thread.....where do I fall?

I have to do the elevation certificate for flood insc.
I have to do demolition certificate (which is essentially the bill from
the demolition company)....

flood insc. has told me "I could cancel my flood policy" due to no
structure being there, and then do the new policy on the new guidelines...
I am uncomfortable with cancelling my policy... there is alot of red tape]
and paper work. So, I just may wait to "cancel the policy" until the
new structure is up and ready for the new policy. I just renewed my
flood insc. policy in august 2006, so I'm good to Aug. 2007.

My homeowners renews in Feb., not sure what the consequences
are there yet.?
Can you advise?
Thanks.