Post and Courier: A Charleston woman’s house was so flood-ridden the government is helping destroy it
Downtown Charleston has lost its first house the federal government deemed so great a flood risk that it helped pay to tear it down.
A demolition crew began clawing away at the two-story 20th century colonial-style structure on Wednesday and is expected to finish soon.
The owner, Elizabeth Boineau, suffered interior flood damage in 2015 and 2016, and she had the house on the market last fall for $962,000 when Tropical Storm Irma swamped it yet again.
That’s when she began looking at new options, including raising her home or — in a step that’s rare in the city’s historic district — razing it. Her plight drew national attention, featured recently in both The Washington Post and NPR.
