Louisiana Flood Risk Maps Badly Outdated The flood risk maps
that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) relied on
when it released its long-awaited guidelines for rebuilding
homes and businesses in New Orleans in mid-April are badly
outdated—in some cases two decades old—and thus grossly
underestimate the hazards of rebuilding. J. Robert Hunter of the
Consumer Federation of America writes that his research in
Mississippi shows that the 100-year flood levels predicted on
the old maps are about 10 feet below what new maps forecast. But
new flood maps for New Orleans won’t be released for 6 more
months. By allowing the maps to get so out of date, FEMA has
misled people into building houses at levels that appear to be
safe but are not. In some cases, people were misled into
thinking that they live outside the flood zones. As a result,
they fail to purchase the flood insurance they need. FEMA's new
guidance for the area bounded by the New Orleans levees will
allow rebuilding even though, as the agency has