Case Studies
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Flood proofing is an important flood plain management measure that can be used to reduce flood damages to buildings and their contents. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has several, documented successes of flood proofing in the Tug Fork River Basin, which are summarized below and described in the 1994 document, Flood Proofing Technology in the Tug Fork Valley.

Important technical and administrative lessons learned are documented in this publication for flood proofing structures located in Williamson and Matewan, West Virginia, and South Williamson, Kentucky, as part of the flood damage reduction plan for the Tug Fork River Basin. The publication also provides illustrations of how residential structures look after they have been raised for flood proofing, a primary concern of homeowners.

Valley View — Williamson, West Virginia

The Valley View housing site near Williamson, West Virginia was constructed in the early 1990s and features 54 single-family housing sites. Many of these units are manufactured housing units built in Grafton, WV and transported to this site. The site was a former coal and slate refuse dump that was reconfigured and sealed for site construction. More photos

Mate Creek — Matewan, West Virginia

The Mate Creek housing site in Matewan, West Virginia is actually attached to the Matewan Floodwall project and was built in the mid-1990s and includes approximately 25 homes. Two or three lots are vacant at this time, but they are for sale through the West Virginia State Housing Agency. More photos

From the floodwall downtown, there is a trail outside the wall that links the downtown all the way to the end of the Mate Creek housing site (under the highway and railway bridges) and to the new elementary school beyond the Mate Creek housing site.

Matewan Floodwall — West Virginia

The Matewan Floodwall project was constructed in the mid-1990s. The exterior surface of the floodwall contains cast-in-place graphics in the wall. The graphics portray the history of Matewan and surrounding area since pre-historic times. More photos

Pond Creek — South Williamson, KY

The Pond Creek housing site near South Williamson, Kentucky was constructed in the mid-1990s. This site was a former highway spoil site that was reconfigured and laid out for housing. All a challenge, the lots were all mortgaged and mostly stick-built homes constructed. More photos

Grundy, Virginia

The town of Grundy, Virginia is currently in the implementation phase of flood control measures and is the only approved nonstructural project in the Levisa Fork basin. The project includes 48 structures eligible for flood proofing, 48 voluntary acquisitions, 69 mandatory acquisitions, construction of a flood safe commercial redevelopment site, and protection of 17 structures by ringwall/levee. The co-sponsors are the town of Grundy and the Virginia Department of Transportation.