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<br />Appendix A: Flood proofing examples <br /> <br />Continuous walls or block foundations <br /> <br /> <br />Two-story, single- <br />family, brick bungalow <br />raised on concrete and <br />concrete block <br />foundation, Milton, <br />Pennsylvania <br /> <br /> <br />This structure was built in the 1940s in what was later <br />determined to be the 100-year flood plain. The house originally <br />had a basement below grade, with the first floor between 1 and 2 <br />feet above ground level. Floors and walls of the upper two <br />stories were wood frame with a brick-veneer exterior. <br /> <br />Flooding from the West Branch of the Susquehanna River <br />put as much as 7 feet of water on the first floor of the house. <br />In 1975, the owner made a decision to raise the entire structure <br />and place it on concrete and concrete block foundation walls. <br />The house was raised using beams and jacks, and then <br />foundation walls were built atop the old walls to a height of 88 <br />inches above ground level (approximately 4 inches above the <br />flood of record for that area, which was Tropical Storm Agnes <br />in 1972). Because of the brick-veneer exterior, jacking <br />procedures had to be precisely controlled to prevent damage. <br /> <br />After the house was set on the walls, the old basement was <br />backfilled to ground level and a floor slab was poured. <br /> <br />The heating system and hot-water heater are raised 2 feet to <br />prevent damage from minor flooding. Flood-susceptible <br />mechanical and electrical components of these systems are <br />equipped with quick disconnects to facilitate removal prior to <br />major flooding. <br /> <br />The raising of the house was completed in 1976 at an <br />estimated cost of $11 ,300 for foundation work and materials. <br />Much of the actual labor involved was performed by the owner, <br />thus reducing costs below what a contractor would have <br />charged. The ground level was designed for use as a two-car <br />garage and for storage. An elevated wood deck at the new first- <br />floor level surrounds the house on three sides. Two sets of stairs, <br />one interior and one exterior, provide access to the first floor. <br />The structure has not been tested since it was raised; however, <br />excluding a flood greater than the flood of record, the first and <br />second stories would remain dry. The owners are pleased with <br />the outcome of their efforts. Photos of the structure are <br />provided as Figure A I. <br /> <br />14 <br />