Mitigation Can Be Appealing
Full Mitigation Best Practice Story
Guadalupe County, Texas
Guadalupe County, TX – Gilbert Acuna, a pharmacist, and his wife, Angie, a social worker, 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 water just hurt some of our plants,” Acuna said.
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.
Activity/Project Location
| Geographical Area: |
Single County in a State |
| FEMA Region: |
Region VI |
| State: |
Texas |
| County: |
Guadalupe County
|
| City/Community: |
Seguin
|
Key Activity/Project Information
| Sector: |
Private |
| Hazard Type: |
Flooding
|
| Activity/Project Type: |
Elevation, Structural
|
| Structure Type: |
Masonry, Reinforced
|
| Activity/Project Start Date: |
03/2005 |
| Activity/Project End Date: |
09/2005 |
| Funding Source: |
Property Owner, Residential
|
| Funding Recipient: |
Property Owner - Residential |
Activity/Project Economic Analysis
| Cost: |
$180,000.00 (Estimated)
|
Activity/Project Disaster Information
| Mitigation Resulted From Federal Disaster? |
No |
| Value Tested By Disaster? |
Yes |
| Tested By Federal Disaster #: |
1709 , 06/29/2007
|
| Repetitive Loss Property? |
No |
Show Main PointsHide Main Points
Main Points
- The Acunas moved to Seguin, a town with a history of flooding.
- They were required to elevate eight feet above the floodplain, and they decided to add an extra three feet to the eight on their own.
- 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.
- Construction of the 1,805 square foot stucco home began in March 2005 and was completed within six months by a local builder.
- 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.
|
Last Updated: Nov 26, 2007
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