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Houses lacking in flood safety
By ALEX LEARY © St. Petersburg Times, published December 22, 2000 CRYSTAL RIVER -- The city this morning mailed letters to 50 residents informing them their homes may not conform with federal flood regulations. Unless the problem is fixed, the city stressed, homeowners may not receive a 15 percent reduction on flood insurance. The problem, which may cost homeowners $500 or more to address, was noticed this summer during a visit by a Federal Emergency Management Agency official. It became apparent that the city has not been enforcing the use of hydrostatic openings in the ground level of homes in flood hazard areas. "FEMA didn't take but a minute to pick up on this stuff," said building inspector Walter Brown. Some of the homes believed to be in non-compliance are equipped with breakaway walls, which is another flood control measure, but do not have the vents to allow water to flow through the ground floor. Breakaway walls only work when triggered by high velocity water, Brown said. Less violent water requires vents. Without them, water can build to depths that can cause enough hydrostatic pressure to collapse a home. Joseph F. Myers, director of the state Division of Emergency Management, outlined the concern in a recent letter to the city. "New construction or substantial improvements of elevated buildings that include fully enclosed areas formed by foundation and other exterior walls below the base flood elevation shall be designed to preclude finished living space, and to allow for the entry and exit of flood waters to automatically equalize hydrostatic forces on exterior walls," he wrote. The city has two flood designations: the "V zone" for homes that may be in the path of high velocity waves and the "A zone" for those that can simply flood. Brown said it appears previous building officials misinterpreted FEMA regulations, which were instated in the mid 1980s, and told people in the A zone that they could get by with breakaway walls. Most Crystal River homes are in the A zone. "If your home was built after 1984, it is required to have flow-through ventilation in all areas that are below base flood elevation," Brown wrote in his letter to the 50 homeowners. Retrofitting the homes may be as simple as cutting out space for a small grill, Brown said, and should cost no more than $500. To ease the burden on homeowners, Brown has asked the City Council to waive permit fees for people who undertake the repairs. There might be grumbling about the cost, but Brown points out that the flow-through vents can reduce property damage, save lives and cut flood insurance rates. The city is seeking a 15 percent reduction through the National Flood Insurance Program but will likely not receive the maximum discount unless the homes are fixed. Brown asked anyone with questions about whether their home should be equipped with flow-through vents to call his office at 795-4216. "Even if they don't get a letter and have a question, they can just call me," he said.
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