Battered Houston homes need 150,000-U.S.-dollar facelift after Hurricane Harvey

HOUSTON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,600 Houston property owners might be forced to elevate their homes due to damage caused by Hurricane Harvey, local media reported Tuesday.

Houston's Public Works Department is ready to notify property owners in floodplains that their structures have been declared "substantially damaged."

The properties will need additional repairs to comply with current building codes. That means physically raising the homes, which could cost more than 150,000 U.S. dollars.

The department said 30,523 structures that lie within Houston's 100-year floodplain or floodway were deluged when Hurricane Harvey pummeled the Houston area in August. Enditem