Media

Paige Roberts, CEO of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, joins the conversation on Coast Vue.

Mary Martha Henson, Deputy Director of the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, joins Coast Vue. 

After Hurricane Katrina, FEMA redrew flood maps on the coast. Pascagoula Mayor Jay Willis says those federal regulations are crippling his city.

Pascagoula has the strongest industrial base in Mississippi. It’s a hard-earned and enviable economic development position. Meanwhile, Pascagoula has a FEMA problem; a government-inflicted wound undermining the community. It’s a challenging dichotomy of issues.  

Now that 90% of Pascagoula's homes have been designated to be in flood zones, Insurance rates are getting out of control. Clayton Legear joins us to talk about these issues on Coast Vue.

Unfortunately, in contrast to many other coastal communities, 90 percent of commercial and residential property values in Pascagoula have either declined or remained static from 2008 to 2018. FEMA rules have driven this decline. Yet, FEMA treats Mississippi differently than our neighbors.

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX) - The devastation of Hurricane Katrina 17 years ago is still causing headaches for Pascagoula. Community leaders said it’s all tied to “misguided federal policy.”

The city cannot grant the needed building permits if a home or building’s repairs cost more than 50% of what the property is worth. But property values in Pascagoula have plummeted, city officials say, meaning that “50% rule” doesn’t stretch far.

City officials, community members and others came together Tuesday as part of a newly formed coalition, S.O.S. Pascagoula, to push for the repeal of a federal regulation that they say is strangling the town.