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FEMA Not Placing Manufactured Housing In V-Zones

Following a disaster, FEMA has the responsibility to provide safe, suitable and habitable temporary housing for eligible families and individuals. For a small percentage of those who apply for disaster assistance, the best form of temporary housing is a manufactured unit.

One safety consideration in the placement of manufactured units is the flood risk at the location where the unit is to be placed.

To find out the degree and type of flood risk in a location, FEMA refers to Flood Insurance Rate Maps, which are part of the National Flood Insurance Program. The maps are based on flood hazard studies.

One category of flood zone shown on the maps is the category that starts with V -- V, VE, V1-30 and V0 zones. These areas have an additional flood risk, as they are subject to high-velocity wave action.

Structures in all of the V zones are at particularly high risk of flood damage.

FEMA will not knowingly place manufactured housing in any type of V zone during the Hurricane Ike recovery efforts in Texas. (Any placement errors are being corrected immediately.)

Placing manufactured housing units in high risk areas, like a V, VE, V1-30 or V0 zone, may jeopardize the health and safety of families residing in them.

Lessons learned from weather events as recent as hurricanes Gustav and Ike proved that FEMA manufactured units do sustain substantial damage in high-risk areas.

FEMA continues to assist families in locating suitable and safe temporary housing under the direct housing program through the placement of units in non-V zones (commercial, private and community sites)

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Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability or economic status. Anyone who believes he or she has been discriminated against should contact the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- or hearing-impaired.

Last Modified: Wednesday, 11-Aug-2010 14:46:10 EDT