patrick.net

Yeah but then you'd create a bigger problem as the run off ever time it rained would flood the Mississippi even quicker. NOLA dykes couldn't handle that load.

state says

how would this solution create more runoff?

It's called a "Flood plane" for a reason. You could pile dirt on the top of it, but the water will still need to go somewhere. Water flows down hill, run off is quicker than absorption.

Requiring every property to have a massive sump pond or pool is more doable, but then would create all kinds of other problems. Accidental drownings, misquotes, leaks undermining foundations ect...

Hydro dynamics is the most powerful force on Earth, it's really hard to get it to do what you want. Even when you are successful, water will only humor you, until it can erode your defenses.

Tenouncetrout says

You could pile dirt on the top of it, but the water will still need to go somewhere. Water flows down hill, run off is quicker than absorption.

Yep, this is totally correct. Also, coupled with everyone living on a little "hill" they would probably coat the hill in a non-permeable surface to reduce erosion; this accelerates water speed into the drainage system... aaaand... into the Mississippi. Also, accelerated water has the effect of increasing erosion on any surface.

Tenouncetrout says

Requiring every property to have a massive sump pond or pool is more doable, but then would create all kinds of other problems. Accidental drownings, misquotes, leaks undermining foundations ect…

There are actually underground systems to mitigate many of those problems, but as you can imagine they are not cheap solutions.

FYI, here is a drawing on the city of Chicago's plans for dealing with runoff:
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2011/05/23/us/23adaptation-graphic.html?ref=earth

state says

I’m guessing the real problem is cost, I really doubt it would only cost 60k to do a quality job.

Yeah, that is what I suspect as well. Also, when all your neighbors start putting demand on the materials and labor required then the costs probably go up dramatically.

TechGromit says

I find it very strange that people how live in flood plains to not take proper precautions to solve there problems permanently.

Yeah, I find this strange as well, but people simply do not think a flood is going to affect them, or that if it does it will not be that bad.

This is caused by the "Optimism Bias":
http://www.psych-it.com.au/Psychlopedia/article.asp?id=238

Tenouncetrout says

Yeah but then you’d create a bigger problem as the run off ever time it rained would flood the Mississippi even quicker. NOLA dykes couldn’t handle that load.

I don't see how. The goal isn't to raise all of the land, that would be impossibly expansive, just the property for your house and 10 or 20 feet surrounding it. Think rural towns, not high density subdivisions. When the next flood struck, you house would be an island with the flood waters going around it. Even if entire communities raised there properties, there would still be miles between communities the flood waters could flow across. I was also thinking of the low lying areas the flood waters are now affecting, not houses right up against the Mississippi river. While levees do a fairly good job in holding back flood water, a failure anywhere along the wall will expand into a beach several hundred feet across in no time.

As for the cost estimates, I used a program to estimate the how much dirt is required to raise a 80x80 plot of land ten feet high, then figured out the cost per load of dirt. I believe the cost estimate is fairly accurate. The more expansive part of the equation is building retaining walls to keep your dirt in place. I envision 5 x 5 foot square rocks to form a wall on all sides of the enclosure and a driveway leading up to your garage. Naturally if the flood waters are 15 feet high when it floods, it would require a higher wall or a lower wall if it floods less. I don't remember the exact estimate of how high the water was expected to get, but I'm be very surprised if it was more than 10 feet. you have to remember they were flooding an area hundred of miles across, not some some restricted waterway.

The amount of area you are trying to raise could also be smaller, a 40x40 area is 1/4 the size and 1/4 the cost. the goal here isn't to raise your entire property, but just in important features, the house, garage, perhaps a shed and even a swimming pool. You can still utilize the remainder of your property, you would just have someplace to move your belonging to if a flood is predicted. Instead of dragging your furniture up to the second floor of the house (assuming you have one) and writing off the whole downstairs.

http://www.bradfieldproperties.com/property/property.asp?PRM_MLSNumber=629396&PRM_MlsName=SanAntonio

I had a Realtor try and sell me this lot. Per the Realtard, only 75% of it is in a flood zone and it only floods now and then. It's been on the market for years.

Hills n Dales?

Who comes up with these names? That sounds like some mock suburb in a bad Ren and Stimpy episode.

Tenouncetrout says

Hills n Dales?
Who comes up with these names? That sounds like some mock suburb in a bad Ren and Stimpy episode.

It's a very hilly area. So goes the name.

BTW, this is a very popular ice house in the area:

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Zt_uKwAjo9owNgCrorioFg?select=qp3f3PDPRWdx6powv-858Q

Hills n Dales is awesome! One of the widest selections of beer I've seen. I actually shopped there my first year of college to get materials for a 'student designed experiment' in microbiology. I decided to test the 'killing coefficient' of 4 drinking ethanols vs. 2 commonly opportunistic skin pathogens, a spore former and uh, ya, I forgot.

I bought Bud Light, Samichlaus (38% alcohol content bear - strongest in the world at the time), Quervo and Everclear 190. To my surprise Bud Light killed by far the most bacteria. No contest so I surmised there was something else in the bud light. 70% Etoh has the highest killing coefficient - well known.

Nice area, I used to Mountain Bike there. The floods are generally in well defined and obvious areas. Plenty of nice limestone solid elevated areas to build on. I knew of spots out there were natural springs came up and dove back down into the ground clean enough to drink in the 80s. Crystal clear pools you could dive into 30ft deep. Water falls all over. Also other areas with swiss-cheese like caves you can explore for miles. We used to be way outside of city limits living out there but not anymore.

Left out the best part - UT paid for the beverages and so I had a little party with my friends using the 'left-overs'.

I agree with [b]TechGromit[/b] in that I do not understand why more people don't use infill and retaining walls to keep their house and cars off of the flood plain. I'd also add a hefty diesel generator and diesel supply (or something similiar) so that you would have electricity, enough to run the A/C to adequately dehumidify, and some sort of small boat.