After Harvey, Tennessee city looks to buy at-risk homes

Friday, September 8, 2017, Vol. 41, No. 36

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee city hopes to acquire 90 more homes at risk of flooding.

WPLN-FM reports Roger Lindsey with the Nashville Water Services Department says the city has gotten phone calls from homeowners willing to restart buyout talks in the wake of last week's flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Harvey. Lindsey oversees flood mitigation for Nashville.

Dozens of homes around Whites Creek were inundated last week, including those belonging to owners who had already turned down buyout offers from the city.

Nashville has purchased 261 homes since 2010, when flooding caused more than $2 billion in private property damage.

Owners get a fair market value in buyouts, with the federal government paying 75 percent of the cost. The properties are become open spaces, parks or urban farms.