Louisiana residents have until Friday to sign up for the state's latest round of the $10,000 fortified roof grant lottery, and for the first time, Jefferson Parish homeowners who are selected can receive up to an extra $5,000 to bolster their roof's storm resiliency.

The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program will select 500 homeowners living in the state's Coastal Zone — along with Lake Charles, Sulphur and Westlake — to receive $10,000 to upgrade their roofs to meet modern storm resiliency standards.

The upgraded roofs can lead to big savings in the long run. Grant recipients see an average discount of 22% off their home insurance bill, equal to about $1,250 per year, the state Legislative Auditor found .

But the cost still can be too high for some owners to bear. The average roof cost f

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