MOLINE--Dave Arnold is the master of his home and not mother nature.
After 35 years of living along the Rock River in Moline, he’s decided to raise his house eight feet off the ground, keeping it away from the raising flood water.
“The flood last year was predicted to put several inches of water in the house… we just never want to do that again,” says Arnold.
Although he’s still working on the finishing touches, he’s excited to see how the house will stand up against the next round of high water.
“My wife worries when it is a predicted flood. At least this will make her confident that the house is not going to get wet. The ground will still get wet but the house itself will be safe,” says Arnold.
This time around the Rock River in Moline is expected to hit major flood stage by the end of the week. However, that is not enough to stop this flood veteran.
“You have to enjoy the sunsets and the water... and enjoy the neighborhoods enough to put up with the inconvenience once every three years or so,” he says.
Arnold says the home renovations will save on insurance cost in the long run. Just this year he says he’s saved $2,500 from making those changes.
He expects to finish those renovations by the end of the year.