Homes in St. Petersburg are being lifted to mitigate flood risks.
As storms and hurricanes intensify, St. Petersburg, Florida, is experiencing a surge in home lifting to combat rising flood risks. Homeowners like Nancy Biddle are opting for this solution to safeguard their properties after facing challenges with permitting and costs, which can reach up to $700,000. The state’s new ‘Elevate Florida’ program is also providing financial assistance to homeowners, making it easier for them to elevate their homes and enhance flood resilience. This evolving landscape reflects a growing awareness of climate change impacts on local communities.
St. Petersburg, Florida, has found itself in the middle of a *flood fight* as storms and hurricanes become more frequent and intense. As a result, homeowners are turning to an innovative solution: home lifting. This trend is taking off in the Tampa Bay area as residents look for ways to protect their properties from flooding.
Take Nancy Biddle’s recent experience. After pouring over $50,000 into renovations, her home, built back in the 1950s, became increasingly vulnerable to rising waters. Instead of relocating to a safer area, she made the choice to lift her home. While this decision could help safeguard her investment, the road to getting her house elevated proved to be quite the journey.
The process took eight long months, mainly due to the complicated permitting requirements. What’s typically a 30-day process has now stretched to about 60 days, thanks to an influx of homeowners seeking similar solutions in the wake of recent hurricanes. In Nancy’s case, getting a variance to lift her home in the same spot added an additional 3 to 6 months to her timeline.
Albert Jasuwan, who heads JAS Construction, has noticed *a dramatic surge* in the demand for home lifting services. Projects are popping up all over St. Petersburg’s Shore Acres neighborhood as homeowners strive for peace of mind during storm season. For those who wish to stay in their beloved homes yet need to mitigate flood risks, home lifting is emerging as a practical choice.
However, there is a cost associated with this kind of security. Lifting a home can set residents back anywhere from $100,000 to over $700,000, depending on unique project specifications. While these prices may sound daunting, many see this as a worthwhile investment for the safety of their families and homes.
To help ease the financial burden faced by homeowners in flood zones, the state has introduced the new “Elevate Florida” program. This program offers funding assistance specifically for lifting homes and enhancing flood resilience. In an effort to prioritize the most at-risk properties, the program evaluates applications based on *past flooding history*, ensuring that federal grants cover at least 75% of project costs.
For homeowners eager to take advantage of the Elevate Florida program, there is some homework to do. It’s essential to register and gather the required documentation to get the application rolling. But be warned! The entire process—from submitting the application to completion of construction—could take anywhere from one to two years. So, patience is key.
As flooding concerns continue to rise, the combination of individual efforts to lift homes alongside state support programs reflects a growing awareness of climate change’s effects on our communities. In St. Petersburg and beyond, homes might soon start rising above the floodwaters, keeping families safe and providing some reassurance in uncertain times.
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