Florida homeowners advised to raise homes to avoid damage from hurricane flooding
Raising homes to avoid hurricane flooding
Some New Smyrna Beach residents are frustrated with the lack of answers for flooding problems. One of the recommendations a firm hired to study the flooding was to raise houses.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. - Some New Smyrna Beach residents are frustrated with the lack of answers for flooding problems.
On Tuesday, city leaders held a meeting to present the findings from an engineering firm in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. The group worked to detect the possible causes of the major flooding. Shaun Kelley told FOX 35 News he was expecting more concrete answers at the meeting.
"I kind of walked out feeling like nothing’s going to change. Because apparently, nothing needs to be done," he said. There is a drain at the front of his house he believes is the reason his house was flooded. At the meeting, researchers introduced some options, though one of the speakers said it will be difficult to find fixes for areas close to the coast and near the tidal surge.
Tracking the Tropics: Hurricane Hunters to observe low-pressure system in Gulf of Mexico, near Florida
"The closer you are to those areas the harder it’s going to be to come up with something feasible if you have another Ian," a spokesperson said.
RELATEAD: Massive flooding in New Smyrna Beach, Florida from Ian
One of the recommendations the firm provided was raising the houses. There are a handful of house lift projects underway in the area of Goodwin Avenue. Some of them have been partially paid for through a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant program. One of the projects is estimated to cost $80,000, according to the permitting documents.
"Most people don’t have that money sitting in the bank, I know I don’t. There was a risk involved too," Kelley said. According to Mayor Fred Cleveland, city staff will be looking into the report. The plan is to come forward with a plan of action in about a month.