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Residents Learn More About Escambia County’s Plans For Bristol Park Flooding FEMA Grant
January 12, 2021
Dozens of people attended a meeting Monday night to learn more about how Escambia County hopes to purchase homes in the flood-prone Bristol Park and Ashbury Hills neighborhoods from willing homeowners.
Homes in the neighborhoods have flooded multiple times, including the 2014 floods and during Hurricane Sally. Now, the county is applying for FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program that would allow the county to acquire the properties.
“You are not going to be forced into this program,” Steven White, senior project engineer for Mott MacDonald told the attendees at the Escambia County Extension Office in Cantonment. He said the program remains optional for homeowners up until a sales contract is signed.
Before Monday night’s meeting, the county sent letters to 194 homeowners in the area making them aware of the process. They received responses from 45. Of those, 28 requested applications and 13 requested one-on-one meetings for more information.
Eligible residents will need to apply in order to be included in the home purchase program. The county will determine an estimated funding need before they apply for the FEMA grant. Once the grant is awarded, Escambia County will have three years in which to acquire the properties.
Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said it is important for homeowners to be included in the original grant in order to have their homes purchased.
Residents in the Bristol Park and Ashbury Hills areas can contact either Kelli Reddick (kelli.reddick@arcadis.com) or Rob McCracken (rob_mccracken@myescambia.com to schedule an appointment, ask questions about the grant application or receive an application package.
Pictured above: A meeting Monday night at the Escambia County Extension Service. Pictured below: Belongings outside a home that flooding during Hurricane Sally; NorthEscambia.com photo. click to enlarge.
Comments
5 Responses to “Residents Learn More About Escambia County’s Plans For Bristol Park Flooding FEMA Grant”
the county sould not allow homes to be built in flood areas, but all they care about is getting property tax dollars,then stick it to tax payers to buy back flooded propert.. the county needs to be held accountable for things like this
Wow, you build in a swamp, in a low laying area, next to a swamp and get flooded. Take responsibility for your own actions!
Did that area have flooding issues before homes were built there?
A lot of the beach homes are built so low that they will flood anytime the Gulf crosses over the dunes. Makes you wonder if this is done intentionally – every couple of years they get a total renovation at tax payers’ expense. One beach front condo owner on Perdido Key I talked to boasted that he got his insurance premiums back at least fourfold since purchasing his property.
Let’s just make the homes be built on stilts like the beach homes. DUH!!