NEW ROADS - After dealing with years of flooding, residents in one neighborhood are finally able to move on.

Construction on new houses is starting for people moving out of the flood-prone Pecan Acres neighborhood. The subdivision, better known as "Flood City," has flooded at least 17 times in 30 years.

"One year, it flooded back-to-back. It flooded on a Monday. We picked things up on a Sunday. We put things back that Wednesday, and it flooded again that Friday," long-time resident Harold Terrance said.

The state has since worked with homeowners to move them to drier, safer land. People living in Pecan Acres agreed to be bought out, and Tuesday they broke ground on their new subdivision named Audubon Estates.

The first phase of construction will bring them a new set of 16 homes.

"The 22-acre site is outside of the 100-year flood plane, and we're going to build you up an additional two feet just for added security," Governor John Bel Edwards said.

Once everyone has moved out, the neighborhood will be demolished and reverted back to wetlands. This will help alleviate flooding in the area.

It's a dream years in the making for Sylvia Williams.

"We are now safe. We will be free from flooding. We have an opportunity to excel and to live without fear of flooding," Williams said.

Residents could be moving into their new homes as soon as summer 2021