Rapides warns of isolation for those refusing flood buyouts

(AP) — Rapides Parish officials are warning a handful of holdouts in south Alexandria subdivisions that they could be isolated if they don't accept federally-financed flood buyouts.

Overton tells The Town Talk (http://townta.lk/290Yf2k ) that nearby development along MacArthur Drive has increased flooding in the area after heavy rains.

The parish received a $6.1 million Federal Emergency Management Agency grant to make buyout offers in the area, which is outside the Alexandria city limits.

The project seeks to purchase and then demolish the most flood prone homes, moving residents out of harm's way and creating green space to absorb rainfall, cutting other flooding nearby