Post-Katrina house rises to new heights in uptown New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) -- For 10 years, old houses have been raised to new heights by homeowners who don't want to risk another Hurricane Katrina flood.

In fact, FEMA requires homeowners who raise their houses to make sure the first floor is higher than a base flood elevation, which is indicated by little yellow dots on neighborhood telephone poles. Base flood elevation varies by neighborhood.

SEE MORE: Special coverage on the 10th anniversary Hurricane Katrina

Some homeowners are raising their homes four, five, or even six feet -- but for others, the sky's the limit.

In uptown New Orleans, WGNO found a single story house raised a full 20 feet -- two stories off the ground.

A neighbor told WGNO that the owner lives out of town and has been working on it off and on for years. The neighbor says the owner's name is Jack.

Neighbor Pamela Thomas weighed in, saying, "It's too high! It doesn't go with the other houses in the neighborhood. It's way too high."

The city doesn't think it's too high, though. After all, it has a city permit.

"Certainly from the aesthetic point of view I completely understand the concerns. It's a cinder block foundation, not the most attractive thing, but it's stable structurally. We're very confident that this building meets the code. We've worked with their engineer, and we are familiar with the way it was built," Department of Safety and Permits Director Jared Munster assured.

PHOTOS: New post-Katrina buildings and ongoing construction