IS THERE SUCH A THING AS A TORNADO-PROOF HOUSE?

The increasing frequency of extreme weather has homeowners from Florida to Kansas, New York to Hawaii living in fear of the next storm season. In recent years we’ve seen a surge in catastrophic hurricanes, typhoons, and tornadoes, with heavy rainfall and devastating winds that can flatten buildings, uproot trees, and strip away infrastructure.

In the time of climate change, we must adapt or perish. And one of the best ways to do that is by building homes designed to withstand extreme wind. At TPHA, our collaborative – of architects, engineers, builders, municipal planners, and people who’ve survived storms – has worked tirelessly to design homes built to last.

Where traditional building designs fail, our homes have impact-resistant windows and walls, concrete foundations and a steel wall that can withstand winds of up to 150 mph. They have flexible roofs designed to withstand wind damage too.

This technology saves lives and money, making sure people do not lose their homes and life savings in a single storm. While nothing can protect homes through the fiercest category 5 storms, our wind-resistant technology makes a huge difference in lessening damage and making sure your home stays standing. This approach to building homes is a critical part of climate resiliency and will soon be common among coastal communities.

One of the keys to wind resistance is aerodynamic designs. Our homes, with rounded edges and sloped roofs, are crafted to deflect rather than catch wind. When wind meets a traditional square or rectangular home with its 90-degree edges, it creates pressure differentials that can lift a roof off or make walls collapse. But a building with curved surfaces and hexagonal shapes allows wind to flow around it. Adding reinforced concrete and Kevlar-laminated panels also helps offset damage because they’re more flexible than wood framing, which tends to crack and break in intense wind.

These days wind-resistant technology is becoming more affordable and accessible. The use of cross-laminated timber, a relatively new material in the construction world, is promising. By layering wood boards at perpendicular angles, we can create a wood panel that rivals steel and concrete in its ability to withstand strong winds. It’s already been adopted in several hurricane-prone areas and is quickly gaining popularity.

Incorporating wind-resistant technologies also helps protect whole communities. When there’s less damage, it takes less time to rebuild and recover from a storm, so you don’t see the massive displacement we witnessed after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans or Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. But without wind resistant technology, the cost of rebuilding can be staggering, especially for working class people without A+ insurance or the savings to absorb a big loss.

We can’t stop every storm, but with wind-resistant technology we can help those on the frontlines of climate change make sure their homes are ready for extreme weather. The time to invest in wind-resistant housing is now, before the next storm strikes.