Hurricane proof houses?

Factual Questions
21

The sad thing is that it really does not cost much to make a home hurricane-resistant. Good wood-framed structures are surprisingly strong (they’re one of the best types of homes for resisting earthquakes) and they are not particularly expensive. Tying the structure together is also quite cheap if it is done during construction. Go down to your local home center and check out the various Simpson StrongTie plates…I don’t remember exactly but adding that it when building increases the cost of the home by a pittance…like 1%. Compared to having your roof blown off and then the whole house collapsing like a pack of cards it’s a bargain. Have attachment areas around all windows so that you can fasten sheets of 3/4" plywood to prevent breakage. Keep “wind catchers” like gabled roofs to a minimum. The concrete block construction in non-seismic zones will take a hell of a beating from wind and debris before it breaks.

And finally, locate houses out of flood plains where possible.

22

If I didn’t daydream it up, a rotating house has already been built somewhere in the Pacific Northwest (Mayne Island? Orcas? Salt Spring? I can’t remember).

It doesn’t go 360 degrees-- more like 240, I think-- and all the plumbing and electric go through the central core (and because it’s not a total swivel, the engineering job is much easier than you expect). The house does have a motor to turn, but it can be put in neutral and turned by hand.

23

Nope - you didn’t dream it. They are even selling the technology. But this may not be the one you are thinking of - it does do multiple rotations.

DancingFool