Advocate: Families spending 3rd Christmas in FEMA trailers after 2016 flood

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Come this time next year, a big tree will grace the brand new living room of the Frison family, with its balcony overlooking citrus trees in the backyard. Their extended family will come from Alexandria, California and Georgia to fill their new Baton Rouge house with joy.

But this year, the Frisons again will be opening gifts inside a single-wide trailer from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Mark Frison, wife Karen Christmas (yes, that's her name), and his three kids are among 383 families across the state spending a third holiday season in a FEMA mobile housing unit while they continue recovering from the August 2016 flood. At the program's peak, FEMA housed 4,633 families in MHU's.

The road home has been long and difficult, but the Frison family can now see some hope on the horizon.

"It can get a little bit emotional, but I know the finished product will be something we're happy with," Frison said.

Those still out of their homes at this point are facing a web of challenges that have taken time to resolve.

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The 2,600-square-foot house took on 3 feet of water while they were gone, causing substantial damage, a determination that meant the family had to elevate or rebuild. Frison chose the former.

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Still more, a contractor got sick, requiring them to re-bid the project. And while they had flood insurance, it will cover less than half of the $560,000 to elevate and renovate the house, and the Frisons are still figuring out if they might qualify for any other help.

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