Both parish should pass legislation that would require all new construction of residential homes be raised to a certain height to eliminate the ongoing flooding threat that seems to multiply each year. Slab homes should be a thing of the past. Climate change has already taken a toll and will only become worse because of those blind to scientific facts and the flooding that has already taken place.
The proliferation of slab homes have cemented earth and eliminated much needed bare land for water absorption and that water has no where to go but up. Then when you consider the healthy increases in flood insurance and the federal government complaining how flood claims have drained the insurance fund and their reluctance to address the situation timely demands a better solution. Raised homes would produce a better solution for obvious reasons.
Drainage systems in both parish are strained and out dated to a certain degree and can not handle heavy down pours that fall in a short period of time. But a raised house can. The additional cost of a raised house, if any, would more than offset the cost of flood damage and the human toll it takes on the family. The situation of New Orleans is worse because the city sits in a water bowl to begin with and all are familiar with the problem.
Legislation that requires all new residential construction to be raised won't solve the current problem but it will be a start that recognizes a problem that can be addressed where the future will be better than the past. It is also the best answer to controlling flood insurance cost and the cost to rebuild.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
