On the Coast you're going to have thousands of homeowners that want to rebuild. If the home is gone, there's nothing to elevate, so we're making the argument that they should pay for the foundation and a portion of the cost of the new house.

I feel very, very proud to hold this (Oscar) because it tells me, and all of us at home, that we can do it.

We're proposing a new model of housing, to replace 20,000 FEMA trailers in our communities with something akin to the Katrina Cottage. They're more livable and more in keeping with our coastal architecture. They're safer and can be anchored on elevated foundations.

Things just changed. I liked it. I even went to a store and bought a pair of orange cords.

The frustration level is not uncommon. The not knowing and not having the answers is frustrating. Disaster victims just don't know what to expect.

We don't want them to evacuate the Coast, if you will, and be replaced with high-rise condominiums.