In the meantime, utilities would disconnect automatically, and the house would run on its own power and water. After the flood, the poles would retract and the house would settle back down into its foundation. Officials at FEMA argue that they are encouraging the development of technologies like the floating house. But they say the agency is limited in what it can do, given recent disasters such as last year's California floods. In addition, Oliver said, the design has safety flaws.
Every mechanical process has a built-in failure rate.
Oliver said his agency fears people living in such houses would refuse to leave them during a flood, making rescue efforts much more difficult should the design fail. They are designed with maximum safety factors. The warranty on such a house would include periodic maintenance by Winston technicians, Campbell said. With California in another rainy season, any plan to prevent flood damage might seem relevant. But Campbell and his colleagues at Winston still face a significant hurdle in getting federal support for their design even if they fund their own tests.