FEMA Guidelines Threaten New Orleans Rebuilding

New flood elevation guidelines for New Orleans from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are  burdensome and could make it prohibitively expensive for many families seeking to repair their substantially damaged homes, according to home builders in the area.

"The new FEMA Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) are too generalized and need to be based on more thorough research," said Toni Wendel, president of the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans and owner of Olde World Builders & Remodelers, L.L.C. "This one-size-fits-all approach arbitrarily raises the flood elevations in areas that are already well above flood levels. It may also unnecessarily increase the costs of rebuilding homes that may not need to be elevated to the levels suuggested by the maps."

The guidelines “recommend,” for a large part of the city, that “new construction and substantially damaged homes and businesses within a designated FEMA floodplain should be elevated to either the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) shown on the current effective Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) or at least 3 feet above the highest adjacent existing ground elevation (HAEGE), whichever is higher.” ...

A green home by Charter Building and Development Corp. in Albuquerque, N.M.

Strides in Green Building Noted on Eve of Earth Day

Home building is at the brink of a new era in which the line between traditional and green building is starting to fade, NAHB leaders said at a press teleconference on April 19, just days before Earth Day.

“Since the 1990s, we have been preparing our members for the time when green building goes mainstream,” NAHB Executive Vice President Jerry Howard said during the teleconference. On Earth Day 2006, I think the goal is in sight. We are that close.”

According to a recent survey conducted by NAHB and McGraw Hill Construction, there has been a 20% increase since last year in builders dedicated to green building issues. The number is expected to rise by another 30% in 2007 to 64% of builders either heavily or moderately involved in green building projects, the survey said. ...