FEMA grants available for local Louisiana jurisdictions.

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Federal and local officials are preparing to begin assessments of thousands of homes and other structures damaged by flooding in Louisiana. With assistance from the Louisiana Floodplain Management Association and others, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assessments are scheduled to begin next week. FEMA grants are now available to help local jurisdictions in their recovery and rebuilding efforts. Building code assistance is available through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Community residents and jurisdictions have to apply for the grant and coordinate with the state. A.11 Post-Disaster Code Enforcement Projects Extraordinary post-disaster code enforcement costs may be eligible under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Extraordinary needs associated with enforcing local building codes during post-disaster regarding construction may include the performance of building department functions, such as building inspections, and the performance of substantial damage determinations under the National Flood Insurance Program. Usually, it is most advantageous for a local community to use post-disaster code enforcement during the response and recovery phase. A.14.1 Availability of Additional Funds for Mitigation Activities FEMA allows increasing the Five-Percent Initiative amount up to 10 percent for a Presidential major disaster declaration at the discretion of the recipient. The increased initiative funding can be used for activities that address promoting disaster-resistant codes for all hazards. To qualify for this funding, the recipient or subrecipient must agree to adopt and promote disaster-resistant codes or improve their Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule (BCEGS) rating during the POP. The recipient must document the increase in BCEGS prior to the closeout of the project award. The additional funds can be used for the following activities:

Adopting and enforcing the latest International Building Code/International Residential Code published by the International Code Council. Improving a Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule score. Upgrading existing code to incorporate disaster-resistant code provisions. Integrating flood-resistant elements of the building code into local floodplain management ordinances.

Unfortunately, jurisdictions and residents are accustomed to rebuilding in the region after disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. "The silver lining, if there is any silver lining, is that this sits in a large region that has a lot of experience with rebuilding and recovery," said Mary L. Landrieu, a former United States senator from Louisiana who with former ICC CEO and FEMA Director James Lee Witt advocated for the statewide adoption of the International Building Code following Katrina. "They don't have to go far to find experts."