Floodplain Info
The City of Carencro has participated actively in the National Flood Insurance Program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) since 1984, and the City of Carencro is dedicated to minimizing the loss of life and property that is associated with flooding events. Education and prevention are valuable and proven tools that help communities become resistant to these natural disasters. The City of Carencro recognizes that its entire community is susceptible to flooding, not just those structures located within Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). The following information is to help inform property owners and renters located within the SFHA, flood-prone areas and also all property owners within the City of Carencro.
Flood Zone Map
You may view a flood zone map, along with additional information.
Flood Safety
1. Learn the safest route from your home or business to higher, safer ground, but stay tuned to reports of changing flood conditions.
2. If emergency officials tell you to evacuate or leave your home, go immediately to a safe shelter, hotel or relative’s house.
3. Turn off all utilities, gas and electricity at the main switch. Stay away from power lines and electrical lines. Be alert for gas leaks.
4. Do not walk through flowing water. Drowning is the number one cause of flood related deaths. Currents can be deceptive; six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.
5. Do not drive through a flooded area. More people drown in their cars than in any other location. Vehicles also push water into homes and cause additional property damage.
Flood Insurance
The purchase of federal flood insurance is highly recommended. Basic homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover damage from floods. The City of Carencro participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which means that federally subsidized flood insurance is available to everyone in the city. Remember there is a 30-day waiting period before a policy becomes effective. Some people have purchased flood insurance because it was required by the bank or loan company when they obtained a mortgage or home improvement loan. Usually, these policies just cover the building’s structure and not the contents. During the kind of flooding that happens in the City of Carencro, there is usually more damage to furniture and the contents than there is to the structure. Remember that a flood insurance policy must be renewed each year. If you are a renter in the City of Carencro, a renter’s insurance policy is very helpful.
Mandatory Purchase Requirement: The mandatory purchase requirement applies to all forms of federal or federally related financial assistance for buildings located in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). This requirement affects loans and grants for the purchase, construction, repair, or improvement of any publicly or privately owned buildings in the SFHA, including machinery, equipment, fixtures and furnishings contained in such buildings. If a building is located in an SFHA, the agency or lender is required by law to require the recipient to purchase a flood insurance policy on the building.
For more information about flood insurance, contact:
– Federal Emergency Management Agency
– Any Lafayette Parish Public Library
– Your insurance agent
– The City of Carencro Planning Department
Property Protection
Rather than wait for a flood to occur, you can act now to protect your property from flood damage. Various alternatives are available to help minimize flooding. If the floor level of your property or structure is lower than the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) located on the city’s Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), consider ways to prevent flooding from occurring such as retrofitting your building. “Retrofitting” means altering your building to eliminate or reduce flood damage.
Retrofitting Measures Include:
– Elevating the building so that floodwaters do not enter or reach any damageable portions of it.
– Constructing barriers out of fill or concrete between the building and floodwaters.
– “Dry floodproofing” to make the building walls and floor watertight so water does not enter.
– “Wet floodproofing” to modify the structure and relocate the contents so that when floodwaters enter the building there is little or no damage.
– Preventing basement flooding from a sewer backup or sump pump failure.
There are several good references on retrofitting in any Lafayette Parish Public Library. Many of these will inform you about retrofitting techniques and help you decide which is best for you.
Flood Warning System
If flooding is imminent and evacuation of the city is advised, the City of Carencro will notify you through local radio and cable television. Additionally, the city will be receiving information from NOAA Weather Station Radio broadcasts weather information at 162.550 MHZ 24 hours a day and from the National Weather Service Offices in Louisiana The local contact number is 337-896-8481 or the City of Carencro Planning Office at 337-896-7971. Please call in reference to evacuation notices, procedures and shelters.
Floodplain Development Permit Requirements
All development in the City of Carencro needs local and state permits. Contact the City of Carencro Office of Planning at 337-896-7971 or 337-896-8481 for advice before you build, fill, place a manufactured home or otherwise develop. The subdivision ordinance, flood control ordinance and the International Building Codes have special provisions regulating construction and other developments within floodplains. Without these provisions, flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) would not be available to property owners in the City of Carencro. Any development in the floodplain without a permit is illegal; such activity can be reported to the Planning Department at the phone number above.
Substantial Improvement Requirements
What is a substantial improvement? The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requires that any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvements of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure before the start of construction of the improvement, must conform or meet the same construction requirements as a new building and be constructed above the minimum Base Flood Elevation (BFE) listed on the City of Carencro’s Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM).
What is substantial damage? Substantial damage means damage of any origin sustained by a building or structure when the cost of restoring the building to its pre-damaged condition would equal or exceed 50% of the market value of the building before the damage occurred. Substantial damage is determined regardless of the actual repair work performed.
The City of Carencro requires by ordinance that any substantial improvement or substantial damage improvement must have a building permit. Permit information can be obtained at the Planning Department located at City Hall or by calling at 337-896-7971.
Drainage System Maintenance
It is illegal in the City of Carencro to dump any type of debris into a canal, stream, river or drainage ditch. This debris can become entangled in culverts and shallow streambeds, canals or drainage ditches and impede drainage causing the flow of water to back up. Citizens of Carencro should also keep drainage ditches on their property free of debris, foliage and vegetation that would impede the flow of water. Debris dumping should be reported to the City of Carencro at City Hall by calling 337-896-8481.
Flood Information
Citizens of the City of Carencro can obtain flood information concerning flooding, flood maps, mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements, flood insurance requirements and inquiries, and flood zone determinations from the City of Carencro Planning Office located at City Hall, or by calling 337-896-7971.
Flood Protection Assistance
Concerned citizens and the general public can obtain information on flood protection assistance from the City of Carencro Planning Department.
List of Services Provided:
– Provide a list of names of contractors and consultants knowledgeable or experienced in retrofitting techniques and construction.
– Provide materials on how to select a qualified contractor and what recourse citizens have if they are dissatisfied with the contractor’s performance.
– Make site visits to review flooding, drainage and sewer problems and provide one-on-one advice to property owners.
– Provide advice and assistance on retrofitting techniques, such as, elevating buildings above flood levels or the Base Flood Elevation (BFE), dry floodproofing, wet floodproofing and protecting basements from sewer backup.
– Also, information on the installation of barriers, levees, berms and floodwalls around individual buildings or structures is available.
Understanding Stormwater
Additional Resources
LCG GIS Flood Map
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
National Flood Insurance Program
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
USGS Water Resources of Louisiana
National Weather Service
Association of State Floodplain Managers
Louisiana Floodplain Management Association
Flood Safety and Preparedness Guide