COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE HOUSTON FLOOD HOUSE “. . . Lifting every flood-threatened home one story would solve so many problems – where to park the cars, where to store the trash can, where to house the nanny, where to store the wine (doesn’t everybody have these problems?) Just like old-time Louisiana homes. (Anyone been to Laura Plantation?) A while back there was discussion on Swamplot concerning a prototypical or traditional Houston architecture type. I think it should be dog-trot style, with roof-top garden, and raised on gulf-coast-style columns.” [movocelot, commenting on From Show House to Wet House to No House: Saying Goodbye the MacGregor Way]
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I grew up not far from Laura Plantation!
Yes, it is raised up fairly high.
The beauty of raising a house is that it automatically creates the garage underneath it. The cars being flooded isn’t a huge loss since full coverage car insurance will cover that loss.
The brick house near the corner of North Braeswood and the West Loop feeder belonged to an engineer who, after one flood too many, raised the entire house up. A fine brick staircase was built and wrought-iron rails installed across the new “front porch.” The engineer’s wife always wanted to live in a New-Orleans style house, and in a way she got her wish.
In a sense, this has been done already on a large scale:
In Galveston after the big storm of 1900, the intact buildings were held aloft on piers & connected by planks/walkways while dredged muck was poured underneath them. I forget how long it took to raise the new ground-level up to the houses, but remember reading it was a lonnnnng time.
Now, if only they’d gone nine feet higher! while they were at it, because that kind of effort, faith & perseverence is unique.
In a sense, this has been done already on a large scale:
In Galveston after the big storm of 1900, the intact buildings were held aloft on piers & connected by planks/walkways while dredged muck was poured underneath them. I forget how long it took to raise the new ground-level up to the houses, but remember reading it was a lonnnnng time.
Now, if only they’d gone nine feet higher! while they were at it, because that kind of effort, faith & perseverence is unique.
oops, I repeat myself
Also, Galveston didn’t have any FEMA or Army Corps help. They did it themselves. People didn’t whine about where was the government to help me. The just did it on there own.