FEMA funds elevating R.I. coastal homes

Federal funds earmarked for adapting to sea-level rise and flooding in Rhode Island are being channeled into elevating pricier homes along the coast, while inland, flood-prone homes are being torn down, according to ecoRINews.

Since tropical storm Irene in 2011, more than $2 million has been spent to elevate 22 coastal homes that repeatedly flood, earning them the term “repetitive loss” by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The state’s coastal-planning agency agrees with the rebuild-and-go-higher concept. Coastal Resources Management Council Executive Director Grover Fugate said elevating helps reduce flood insurance costs for homeowners, gives a boost to the construction industry and keeps higher-priced homes on the tax rolls. •

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