A local telemarketing building is built in the flood plain, and was designed to be water tight (if the doors were sandbagged) up to the bottoms of the windows. The first 3 feet, or so, of the structure is poured concrete, and heavily reinforced with steel rebar. A 'stick built' house is grossly less sturdy.
The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it.