Byron "Goose" and Carla Richard had this elevated house built to replace the ground-level house Hurricane Rita wiped out when it blew in to Cameron Parish in September 2005.

Pat Skinner of the LSU AgCenter explains hurricane-resistant features of the Richard house during the Cameron Parish Tour of Homes held Sept. 23.

Byron “Goose” and Carla Richard have lived in Cameron Parish all of their lives. After Hurricane Rita struck in September 2005, the Richards never questioned if they would return. They just had to figure out how.

“We’ve lived here all of our lives,” he said. “We didn’t want to go anywhere else.”

So, the Richards built an elevated structure to replace the ground-level house they had been living in. Hurricane-resistant features of the new Richard house include:

• Foundation: 10-by-10 wooden pilings (20 feet long) driven using vibrating method 12 feet deep into ground—wrapped with brick veneer to complement house design. Front piles 34 feet long, driven 12 feet deep, extending 24 feet above slab support front edge of roof.
  
  
• The Base Flood Elevation (BFE) of the lot is 11 feet above sea level, which means the lowest part of the lowest horizontal beam must be at or above this level. The original home was partly in a V (Velocity) zone, meaning waves of at least 3 feet could be expected during floods or storm surge. The new house is sited north, away from the Gulf, and is now in flood zone AE-11.
  
  
• Grade is about 5 feet above sea level; 1 foot of soil was added + 8 feet elevation above slab so bottom of lowest horizontal beam is 14 feet 2 inches above sea level.
  
  
• A/C unit on elevated back porch to protect from flooding.
  
  
• Short roof overhangs are less vulnerable to wind uplift forces. Gable end walls are braced to resist strong winds.
  
  
• Impact-resistant windows.
  
  
• Few roof penetrations except for sewer.
  
  
• Exterior siding is impact-resistant vinyl, installed with a wind-resistant nailing pattern.
  
  
• Roof shingles are secured with a wind-resistant nailing pattern.
  
  
• Energy-efficient features include:
  
  
• A/C unit ½ the size of units usually installed in similar-size houses provides lower cost, better humidity control.
  
  
• Spray foam insulation under roof deck of unvented attic puts ductwork in conditioned space to cut energy losses, add comfort and eliminate roof/soffit vents vulnerable to wind-driven water entry.
  
  
• On-demand “tankless” water heater (natural gas) is more expensive to install but is more affordable to operate. The total cost for water heating was about $20 for July 2007.
  
  
• Elevator from the ground level to the house.

The Richards are pretty sure their new house will survive if Gulf waters come roaring inland again.

“We’re very happy with our new home,” Carla Richard said. “We believe we’ll be better prepared if another storm such as (Hurricane) Rita hits.”