I doubt it H If you go to countries where flooding is a risk you'll see that the houses are all built on plinths (Just like Jennys house) but with the mad dash to build as many houses as fast as possible I just can't see them doing this, it obviously costs more and they need to be spaced out more. I've seen houses in parts of Australia which are close to major rivers which flood regularly (Around Sale in Victoria for example) and they are built on plinths and you have to go up steps to enter the front door.

We do seem to be entering a phase of more extreme variations in weather, this has happened before albeit 500 or 800 years ago, it's just bad luck that we were born into an age when it is happening again