Coastal homes could be lifted to avoid floods

WESTERLY – Homeowners along the coast may have a chance to elevate their home against floods and sea-level rise, WPRI-TV CBS 12 reported Nov. 11.

“The elevation makes sense,” said Grover Fugate, R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council executive director. “The question is how much, and how many. That … we are still discussing.”

The CRMC is working on a project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that involves potentially elevating about 340 homes from Westerly to Narragansett.

A homeowner who signs on would pay up to 35 percent of elevation costs. The Army Corps would cover the rest. The estimated cost of elevating all homes is $60 million. The Army Corps would cover $39 million.

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The Army Corps has a list of homes to consider but has not released it because not all homeowners have been contacted.

A public information session is set for December. •

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