Louisiana flood victims could get ‘new and improved’ FEMA trailers
Flood-ravaged south Louisiana residents could soon be in for a familiar sight as government agencies arrive to aid in their recovery: FEMA trailers.
But these will not be the infamous formaldehyde-tainted model used in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 — toxic trailers that became a symbol of government dysfunction during that storm-relief effort.
Earlier this year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency revealed what it calls the “new and improved” FEMA trailer, though the agency prefers the term “manufactured housing unit” to “trailer.”
The upgraded model is designed to last longer and includes enhanced safety equipment like fire-detection sprinklers and indoor emergency strobe lights.
“We’re really focusing on safety,” FEMA administrator Craig Fugate said during a live video tour in February. “This may look like a standard manufactured housing unit on the outside, but it’s the inside that makes it special.”
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More than 40,000 homes have been damaged in the historic rains and flooding in Baton Rouge and the surrounding area. Twelve people have died, and at least 30,000 people and 1,400 pets required rescue.
The federal government has issued disaster declarations for 20 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes.
It’s unknown how many homes are beyond salvage, but more than 70,000 people have reportedly already registered for federal assistance, and at least 9,000 flood insurance claims have been made.
Six thousand people remained in shelters Wednesday, down from more than 11,000 earlier in the week, state officials said.
FEMA will first try and find temporary rental homes or apartments for storm victims, but hasn’t ruled out deploying the new manufactured homes.
“This is not the FEMA travel trailers,” Fugate told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “If we need to bring in any kind of temporary housing units, they are better than they’ve ever been. They are all HUD-approved.”
The white aluminum FEMA trailers gained notoriety 11 years ago when an estimated 145,000 were purchased by FEMA to house thousands who lost their homes in Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.
But scores of the 2005 storm victims became ill after staying in the trailers for extended periods. Testing by the Centers for Disease Control eventually identified toxic levels of formaldehyde, a carcinogen that can cause breathing problems. A class-action lawsuit was settled with the trailer manufacturers for $42 million.
Fugate called the new models the “gold standard.” Upgrades also include wider hallways, and kitchens and bathrooms that meet federal accessibility standards.
“These new units are designed to support the real-world, longer-term needs of disaster survivors,” FEMA announced in a web post in February. “This next generation of temporary housing meeting the rigid standards created by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.”
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A sprinkler-equipped unit costs $56,000 to $69,000 to construct and transport for delivery, a FEMA spokesman told Yahoo News on Thursday.
In addition to Louisiana, the newer models have been deployed to disasters in California and West Virginia. About 60 of the upgraded trailers were sent to California last fall for the victims of the Butte and Valley wildfires. A story in the Sacramento Bee described them as “clad in white vinyl siding, range from about eight feet to 14 feet wide and have one to three bedrooms. They have simple kitchens and bathrooms, and come with a sofa, a kitchen table and beds.”
(This story has been updated since it originally published.)
Jason Sickles is a national reporter for Yahoo News. Follow him on Twitter (@jasonsickles).
