After the Galviston hurricane, killed 8,000 in the early 1900's, they raised the entire island 13 feet. Seems to have worked.
How do you raise an island? Does the former first floor of a house that survived the hurricane become it's basement?
That is not entirely accurate. They raised the grade of the island. I don't exactly remember, but I believe it was a 15 degree grade. For existing buildings, they "lifted" them using jackscrews and, using a vey hugh pipe, pumped wet sand in the spaces below with sand from the ship channel. They also built the seawall for further protection.