Of an estimated 54,611 residential structures damaged in the storms, 27,494 were not in what the federal government deems a "high-risk area," according to city-parish assessments.
Mayor-President Kip Holden said Thursday about half the people who took on water lived in areas where residents aren't required by lenders to buy flood insurance. Many places experienced flooding that never had before, from the Sherwood Forest corridor to much of north Baton Rouge, Holden said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends that every homeowner buy flood insurance, but in practice most people decide based on whether or not they live in a high-risk flood zone, as determined by FEMA.
The head of the Louisiana Bankers Association calls FEMA's flood maps "the holy grail of lending." But in a written statement Thursday, CEO Robert Taylor said the vital documents are flawed.