(The Center Square) − As New Orleans has rebuilt and rebounded, Hurricane Katrina’s impact has informed much of the policy and initiatives throughout the state.
The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple told The Center Square, focuses not just on flood protection but on stronger homes and communities.
“The city, the state, and the federal government spent over $14 billion to fortify levees and build additional pump stations,” Temple said. “But we’re still going to have hurricanes. Our properties are still going to be subject to hurricane-force winds. That’s why the focus now is on resilient housing stock.”
The Crescent City was braced for a Category 5 hurricane in the gulf 20 years ago this week. It arrived that Aug. 29, Category 3 at landfall, tearing through levees, homes and lives. It remains among the most deadly and costly of all time from the Atlantic basin.
Temple said the state’s investments in levees and pump stations after Katrina reduced the risk of another catastrophic flooding event. But, he warned, Louisiana remains highly vulnerable to hurricane-force winds that can tear apart homes and destabilize entire communities.
The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program provides grants of up to $10,000 for homeowners to upgrade roofs to nationally recognized standards able to withstand stronger winds. Since launching in 2023, the program has awarded more than 3,700 grants, with thousands more homeowners fortifying their roofs without state help.
Temple said the program’s impact goes beyond lowering individual insurance costs. Strengthening homes, he said, helps keep communities intact in the wake of major storms.
“When people’s homes are damaged, the longer it takes to repair and rebuild, the less likely they are to move back,” he said. “More resilient homes mean people are more likely to return, insurance remains affordable, and entire communities recover faster. That’s a part of resilience that hasn’t been talked about enough.”
The program’s next registration round opens Sept. 2, with 500 grants available. Homeowners in Louisiana’s coastal zone, Lake Charles, Sulphur and Westlake are eligible to apply. Those who registered in the September 2024 or February lotteries will be automatically reentered into the new round.
Temple said his office is working to make the process smoother for applicants.
“The last time, we had over 10,000 people sign up,” he said. “We’ve tried to make sure people don’t have to resubmit every single time. Once you put your name in the hat, it should stay there until you’re selected.”
The program’s momentum is part of what Temple calls a shift toward long-term resiliency in Louisiana.
“We built the levees,” he said. “We built the pump stations. Now we’re focused on building resilient properties so insurers are willing to stay in coastal Louisiana – and so people can afford to live here.”
