Mitigation
Can Be Appealing

Guadalupe County, TX – Gilbert Acuna and his wife, Angie, wanted to live closer to their daughters - three in San Antonio and one in Austin. They chose the small town of Seguin knowing that the town’s flood history meant that their dream home would have to be elevated.

“We consulted the city’s building official and were told that we needed to elevate eight feet above the floodplain to get a permit. We decided to add three more feet,” Acuna said. “My wife designed the home, and we had an architect to draft the plans.”

Construction of the 1,805 square foot stucco home began in March 2005 and was completed within six months by a local builder. The first floor is elevated 12 feet above the slab foundation on 32 concrete pilings with embedded anchor plates for added support. The open space below provides parking, storage, and building access. The home backs up to Geronimo Creek, which feeds into the Guadalupe River.

In June 2007, Geronimo Creek flooded. More than three-and-one-half feet of water entered ground-level homes in their neighborhood causing damage. The Acuna’s home was unscathed.

The elevation project is one form of hazard mitigation recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Mitigation is any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term estimated impact a hazard would have on human life and property.

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