Cobb County to hold public flood meeting Wed.

By Mary Lou Pickel

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Teams of assessors have finished their rounds of all known flood-damaged homes in Cobb County, noting how much destruction has befallen each one.

Out of the 708 damaged homes in unincorporated Cobb, most will get a green light to rebuild, county officials said.

So far, the majority of damaged homes – or 482 homes – were outside the 100-year flood plain, said Cobb County spokesman Robert Quigley. The remainder – or 226 homes -- were within the flood plain, he said.

About 34 homes have been so heavily damaged -- and are located in flood-prone areas -- that they would have to be hoisted up on piers or a deep crawl space to rebuild in compliance with Cobb County's flood ordinance, Quigley said. That number could change as the county continues to enter final home assessments into the computerized Federal Emergency Management Agency damage estimator. The county must still analyze 170 assessments.

Cobb will hold a community meeting Wednesday to answer residents' questions on rebuilding and possible home buyouts.

As some homeowners may not have the money to rebuild, U.S. Rep. David Scott, a Smyrna Democrat, asked the head of FEMA in an Oct. 7 letter to "remember the human aspect" when making decisions about how much money to grant homeowners. Scott also asked FEMA to make home buyout money available as soon as possible.

Scott and five colleagues also sent a letter Oct. 15 urging FEMA to update old flood plain maps. The maps for the Sweetwater Creek area in Austell have not been updated since the 1980s, for example, Cobb County stormwater managers say.

Cobb County's stormwater department has received many phone calls from residents seeking information, Quigley said.

"This meeting is another way to have two-way communication with experts in the field," he said.

As for home buyouts, normally Cobb County receives enough money to buy out about 10 homes per year that have been heavily flood-damaged, Quigley said.

For example, after Hurricane Dennis in 2005, Cobb County received two grants to buy out 26 homes that were substantially damaged, according to the county's Web site.

Scott's appeal for more money could hasten release of special buyout money for "unmet needs," Quigley said.

At the meeting on Wednesday, Cobb County's directors of permitting, stormwater and community development will answer residents' questions. The meeting will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the South Cobb Government Service Center, 4700 Austell Road, in Austell.