In early July of 2003, floods ravaged Northern Indiana. The record-level floodwaters turned streets into rivers. Green, summery lawns became mud-bottom lakes … every house, an island.

Among the many thousands of homes the floodwaters damaged in the Great Flood of 2003, Steve and Michelle DeLaRosa's house was one of them. To deal with the damage, the couple chose a simple but costly solution. They raised their house by almost 30 inches as a floodproofing measure.

Luckily, the DeLaRosas were flood insurance policyholders. So to help cover the $30,000 costs, the DeLaRosas were able to apply for an Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) grant through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). An ICC provides NFIP policyholders who suffered substantial flood damage up to an additional $30,000 to help cover the cost of elevating, demolishing or relocating their homes.

The DeLaRosa 100-year-old home has withstood the two worst floods in Decatur history: the 1913 flood disaster and the Great Flood of 2003. The house has certainly proven itself to be a survivor, and perhaps could stand up to the next big flood.

Thanks to their status as flood insurance policyholders, the DeLaRosas were able to receive the financial assistance necessary to raise their house out of harm's way. And, of course, they maintain a flood insurance policy to help protect their financial investments in case of future flooding.