Mississippi Emergency Management Agency officials viewed”river”-front property Thursday as part of a Brookhaven effort toprovide possible help to residents in major flood-prone areas ofthe city.

MEMA and city officials focused on several streets in WardThree, where homes flood frequently during heavy rains.

“It’s like a river,” Ward Three Alderwoman Mary Wilson said,describing heavy water flow in a large ditch under St. GeorgeStreet.

Tonia Daniels lives next to the ditch at 122 St. George St. Shesaid her home had bad flooding on three occasions and showedofficials evidence of floor damage.

“My daughter fell through a hole here,” Daniels said.

Daniels’ daughter Sondra, 19, sustained a scratched leg in theincident.

“It’s still kind of weak here,” Daniels said pointing outanother area of the small kitchen. “We just covered it up withplywood to make it look decent.”

Officials also viewed problem areas on Center Street andMinnesota Street. The ditch through Ward Three serves as drainagefor a large part of the city.

Robert Boteler, MEMA Mitigation Bureau director, detailed afederal program where funds would be available to help the city buythe problem-area homes.

The program would cover 75 percent of home appraisal andpurchase costs, attorney fees, demolition and other expenses, withthe city being responsible for the remaining 25 percent. Purchasedhomes would be demolished, with the land converted to “green space”and never used again.

The program is entirely voluntary, Boteler said. In the program,homes are appraised and owners offered the fair market value forthe structures.

“They can take it or leave it,” Boteler said.

A second appraisal may be obtained at the homeowner’s expense.If the appraisal is credible, there can be some negotiation.

Boteler said the primary factor in whether the city’s grant isapproved is cost effectiveness, meaning benefits must be equal toor exceed costs. He was optimistic a city grant would meet thatcriteria.

“On the face of it, it looks like this project will becost-effective,” Boteler said.

Boteler said the application deadline is Sept. 15.

Woody Sample, whose planning company assists cities and countieswith grant applications, discussed the possibility of relocationfunds that could help displaced homeowners.

The MEMA program can provide up to $22,500 to help thosehomeowners find comparable housing, said Sample, stressing that theit cannot be substandard homes. The city would also have to matchrelocation funds by 25 percent.

Sample said no one is buying flood-prone homes in their currentconditions.

“With this program, we’re at least giving them the chance to getsomething and get out,” Sample said.

Sample said the city must decide whether to participate in therelocation aspect of the program.

“That’s where there would be a marked difference in what thecity’s participation costs would be,” Sample said.

Mayor Bob Massengill said the board of aldermen would have todecide how to proceed with the program, possibly at the nextmeeting. He cautioned that the city has limited taxpayer dollars toassist with the program.

“Even though we’re anxious to help solve the problems, there’sgot to be a cap,” Massengill said. “And we need to know what thatcap is.”

Massengill said the city’s options include doing nothing,getting appraisals and offering to purchase the homes, or do thatas well as participate in the relocation aspect of the program.

“We need to help them if we can,” Massengill said.