“Nuclear destruction” has been a common theme in descriptions of Florida Panhandle towns in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. Multi-block stretches of flattened houses are pockmarked here and there by individual buildings that have for some reason weathered the storm.
Some of the surviving houses are structures built to be affordable. Our conclusion? Affordable homes and hurricane-proof homes are not mutually exclusive.
A Washington Post article explores some of the very few housing good-news stories in the aftermath of the hurricane. In spite of all the destruction, it seems that literally a handful of nails applied correctly can be the difference between a surviving structure, and one that loses its roof on the way to a pancake of rubble.
‘Old-style’ affordable houses has been subject to a sometimes well-deserved reputation as flimsy death-traps, particularly mobile homes built a few or more years ago. In America’s tornado-prone regions, as well as riverside flood-plains, weather disasters have often been characterized by the twisted ruins of these classically flimsy forms of affordable housing.
Today, much admired Habitat for Humanity Affordable Housing is built to withstand hurricanes. Examples from the Florida Panhandle show that inexpensive hurricane strengthening keeps affordable homes together while surrounding and more housing built to lower standards lies in ruins.
Read more about houses that have survived Hurricane Michael in the Washington Post: Hurricane Michael Devastated Parts Of Florida. Here’s What Helped To Save Some Homes.
