BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD)– Flood victims in Livingston Parish are rising above the floodwaters literally, with the help of federal funds. These flood mitigation programs will put their homes above base flood elevation.
Livingston Parish homeowner A.C. Speziale says, “The first piece of property I ever bought my realtor told me don’t ever fall in love with a house, and confess that I have fallen in love with this one.”
This home was just one of many that have experienced severe flooding in Livingston Parish, however, help is here.
Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks said, “Some roughly 2.3 million has been approved and funded and will be coming to us.”
State Representative Garret Graves (R) says, “this is a flood management program, it is designed to kind of work in partnership or compliment the flood insurance program because the thought is, you’re buying out or elevating properties before you are reducing the liability of the flood insurance program.”
Homeowners A.C. Speziale and Michelle Crosby says that if there’s another flood, they won’t be worried because they have elevated their home 10 ft. in preparation for flood waters.
How’s the process?
“Shocking, in a word, shocking. we applied for it because the process was very simple, it did take us 2 years for us to get awarded to get it done, but I was shocked,” said Speziale.
Graves said, “The best thing about working on projects like this is that we are all on the same page, we are all pushing in the same direction to make sure we have a great, safe, protected community.”
Visitors driving down the street were amazed by the work done.
Speziale said, “I have had people drive into this yard, look at it, take pictures of it, ask how. It is a fantastic thing in my opinion for someone to be given hope.”
“We’re working, we are working every day but it does take time and it is a process and you have to be approved by FEMA, said Ricks
Those who have flooded or in a high-risk flood area are eligible for these programs.
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