During periods of heavy rain when the ground is fully saturated and the storms keep rolling in, the San Lorenzo River overflows it’s banks. Until the 1998 flood, many, if not all of the homes would be damaged by flood waters in these heavy rain events. After the 1998 flood, FEMA completed a cost/benefit analysis that made a co-operative effort between homeowner and FEMA a reality. Most of the houses in Felton Grove were elevated to what was considered to be “above the flood levels”. Now almost all of the homes stay high and dry when the river overflows it’s banks. The garages/carport’s below can simply be hosed out after a flood, since they were required to be built with flood resistive materials. By spring, homeowners who love to garden are thrilled with the rich soil left behind.

Felton Grove Flooding – Circle Dr. – 1998 – Prior to House Elevations