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Zachary flood survivors in FEMA trailers left scrambling ahead of deadline
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ZACHARY – Residents in Zachary are left scrambling trying to repair their flood-damaged homes due to the city's refusal to pass an extension for flood survivors to live in their FEMA trailers.
For some residents, repairing their homes is taking longer than they expected.
Zachary residents Earl and Nancy McCarthy live with their grandchild in a FEMA trailer in the Little Farm subdivision. They say that repairs to their home may take longer than expected to complete.
"I think it's ridiculous. I can't say that I'm going to have my house finished in 12 months," Nancy McCarthy said. "I don't know if my air-condition is going to work at that time and I think it's ridiculous for them to take this away because some people say it's an eyesore," she said.
City officials passed an emergency deadline allowing mobile homes in subdivisions for 12 months, rather than the typical 18 months for most home owners.
"The council believes that a year is plenty. If you hadn't made progress in a year, what's another six months going to do for you?" Mayor of Zachary David Amrhein said.
Amrhein said that home owners are concerned that mobile homes will reduce their property values. However, the mayor said that residents will not be automatically kicked out of their mobile homes when the deadline comes around.
"That's when we are going to look at case-by-case to see if it's a legitimate concern or problem," Amrhein said.
The deadline for homeowners in Zachary to be out of their FEMA trailers is the end of August 2017.
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