St. Tammany residents concerned about FEMA’s controversial new flood risk ratings have been invited to send their questions to an agency representative who will hold forth this week on the changes to the national flood program that are expected to cost homeowners a lot more to insure their homes.

The meeting Wednesday begins at 3 p.m. in the St. Tammany Parish Council’s chambers at 21490 Koop Drive in Mandeville. A representative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be on hand to address the questions, which must be submitted in advance.

To submit a question, go to www.stpgov.org/riskrating. The meeting will also be live streamed on the parish’s website, and on St. Tammany Parish Government’s Facebook page.

FEMA’s new guidelines, called Risk Rating 2.0, have drawn a loud chorus of opposition from Louisiana elected officials and residents who will face big increases in the amount of money they have to plunk down to insure their homes. 

One particular point of contention is the complexity of the new ratings, which make the system hard for many people to understand. The new ratings mark the most extensive overhaul since the National Flood Insurance Program was created in 1968.

“We are tremendously concerned over the impacts of FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0,” St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper said in a news release. “My administration has been demanding information and a delay to the implementation of the program, which could skyrocket flood insurance rates for some of our citizens.”

During a press conference in March with the area parish presidents, even the state’s insurance commissioner, Jim Donelon, said he wasn’t certain how factors such as improved levees and elevations would work into the cost equation. Some elected officials have also complained about a dearth of information coming from the federal agency. 

Cooper and other St. Tammany officials joined others from across the region opposing the new rating system.

Proponents of the new system say it will more accurately reflect risk for each individual property and end the practice of older, lower-priced homes essentially subsidizing premiums for newer, expensive houses. But there are concerns of unintended consequences in flood-prone south Louisiana, where everyone lives near water of some kind.

The system caps the annual increases that Louisiana’s 500,000 flood program participants will see at 18%. But since it could take years for many policy holders to reach their “target rate,” that will mean years of increases for many. Earlier this year some real estate agents and residents said they were seeing rates jump from $600 annually to $3,000 or more.

FEMA’s new system took effect in October for new policies and in April for existing policies.

“It is still unclear how our citizens may be impacted,” Cooper said in a statement. “I strongly encourage residents to address their concerns, submit questions and be in attendance to receive this vital information directly from the entity that has imposed these new regulations upon us.”

With Lake Pontchartrain running along the southern edge of the parish and numerous rivers and streams criss-crossing it, St. Tammany has seen a number of flood incidents in recent years. A Corps of Engineers study released in 2021 outlines a series of pump stations and home elevations as the best way for the parish to cope.

But those improvements also come with a staggering $4 billion price tag.  

Staff writer Mike Smith contributed to this story.