1,029 Homes “Substantially Damaged”

Residents May Appeal Damage Estimates

    The City of Central has published the preliminary list of 1,029 homes deemed to be “Substantially Damaged” and may need to be raised or demolished.  The list can be found on the City’s website at http://central-la.gov/assets/CityClerk/FEMA%20SDE/FEMA%20SDE%20Address%20Listing.pdf. 
    Homes in Central that were damaged 50% or greater by the July flood will fall under the Substantial Damage rules if they are located in flood zones A or AE AND the home is below the Base Flood Elevation.  The City of Central’s ordinances, which were written to conform to FEMA flood insurance guidelines, require that those homes be raised to the Base Flood Elevation in order to be repaired.
    Neighborhoods such as Winchester, Carmel Acres, and many developments along both the Amite and Comite Rivers have a large number of homes initially determined by the City of Central to be damaged by 50% or more.  The city is relying on the estimates provided by FEMA to make this determination, but elected officials are urging those homeowners to appeal the decision with contractor estimates to avoid expensive raising of homes or even demolition.
 

The City of Central has issued the following press release:
    The City of Central has published the listing of all properties which have been evaluated for Substantial Damage along with the percentage of damage estimated.  The list can be found on the City’s website at http://central-la.gov/assets/CityClerk/FEMA%20SDE/FEMA%20SDE%20Address%20Listing.pdf .  The list is a summary of the Substantial Damage Estimates for flooded properties in the A and AE flood zones in the City of Central.  If your property is in flood zone X, it should not appear in this list.  This summary was compiled using raw data collected and provided to the City of Central by FEMA.  FEMA’s subcontractors used the FEMA Substantial Damage Estimator software to arrive at these estimates.
    There are two categories of properties that are completely exempt from the Substantial Damage rules.  Properties in flood zone X and homes that are at or above the base flood elevation can all be repaired even if the damage exceeds 50% of the home value.  These homes are not required to be elevated or demolished.
    If you feel that the Substantial Damage Estimate for your property is not accurate, please email the City at [email protected] . Please email if possible.  Your case will be reviewed by the City of Central and the staff member assigned to your case will contact you to set up an appointment to review your information. While you are welcome to come to the permit office, that will likely result in extended wait times for you.
    It is important that if your home flooded, and is located in Flood Zone A or AE, and your property is NOT on the list that you email City of Central Municipal Services at [email protected].  Failure to do so could affect your ability to legally make repairs and could negatively affect your flood insurance in the future.  Please state that your house was missing from the list and include your name, address, and a good contact telephone number.
    If your address is listed as having less that 50% damage, then you are able to obtain a permit and rebuild immediately. If you disagree, and believe that your home was substantially damaged, you may file an appeal with the City of Central. Please email City Services at [email protected].
    If your address is listed as having been estimated at 50% damage or more, and you disagree and would like to explore an appeal to this estimate, please do the following:
•    Include a list of documents that you have, such as a permit to rebuild if you have one, slab elevation certificate, recent appraisal, recent documents of cash sale, contractors estimate to rebuild, etc. 
•    Send an email with your questions or concerns, and your address, name, and a good contact telephone number to City of Central Municipal Services at the following email address: [email protected].
    This list reflects only properties in flood zones A and AE, in two categories of data: Those 0-49.9 percent damaged, and those 50 – 100 percent damaged.  We have found some errors in the data. We are looking forward to helping you review the data collected on your home as needed, to ensure its accuracy and make the appeal process as clear as possible based on the complicated of FEMA rules.