Hurricane-proof House

[Nehmo]

Let's say you're building a 1,500 square foot house plus garage on a sufficiently sized lot from scratch in New Orleans after the water has been drained. You want to build so that the house would suffer zero damage should it endure a hurricane of similar size as Katrina.

You would have to build to survive the wind, the flood water, the wind-caused waves in the water (In Katrina-NOLA, the wind had subsided before water came in; this may not be the case in the future), and the impacts of debris.

You need to anticipate looters and unwanted government interference.

The house would have independent utilities, communication, and supplies. And the house would need a secure means of transportation for escape if necessary.

How should this house be built and what should it have?

[Chris]

Asking the "Three Little Pigs" comes to mind. That is of course if they are still around.

[vdubbs]

For one, an address farther inland.

[Robatoy]

Didn't one of them go to market?

[Cato]

Dr. Evil's lair with attached Big Boy escape rocket?

[Jim-Poncin]

Heavy stone, "igloo" shape, surrounded by heavy duty wall to take up wind, flying object, and wave impacts.

[c_kubie]

This should be a good discussion.

My suggestions are

1. A moat made up of Weber grill burners. Anyone trys to get accross, you instantly BBQ there ass.
2. Rifle tower, lots of amunition. (5 bullets for each member of surrounding population)
3. two of each animal to restart population. (preferably opposite gender).
4. Tele-porter to escape. If you go with a tunnel, it would be flooded. If you go jet pack, the guy across in his castle will snipe you from his rifle tower. (Check e-bay for a cheap teleporter.)
5. Seperate ecosystem/ oxygen supply - As ecoli and other diseases break out, you don't want to be breathing this stuff.

I like the three little pigs idea. Make sure you don't talk to the first two.

[Phil Scott]

Tilt up concrete walls with rebar from slab foundation... foundation anchored with 24" diameter deep piles at each corner.

Flat metal storm roof under the mostly decorative pitched roof. The storm roof would be poured concrete at 10'.. actual ceiling in the house would be at 8' or 9'.

Glass would be tempered 1/2" glass. Steel shutters outside.

Doors would be heavy metal, tight sealing that swing out, not in.

Generator would be propane powered (because it stores well and doesnt cloggup the generator carb while sitting idle)...Id have two smaller gen sets..rather than one large one. one very small honda silent generator.

Sump in the middle of the slab, slope slab to drain 1/8" per ft. fit a small little giant sump pump in the sump, powered by the small generator.

Optionally: Put all this on stilts with fold down stairs.

What not to have. Bay windows facing the storm surge. or sliding doors if you are at ground level..for views and nice living have wide decks, enclosed with AC or open.. around the house those will be sacrificed in a storm. Dont build 20' below sea level. or lower than you are willing to have pilings to compensate.

Escape: keep an aluminum boat in the garage and a motorcycle with 150 mile range on a tank of gas.

Costs: You can make the secure core as small as want. Many people could have paddled out on 4" thick sheets of styrofoam available at home depot. Anyone could keep a sheet of that around.

Phil Scott

[Amun]

100% Hurricane Proof homes here.

Just add a good weather-radio and make sure the tank is always full.

AMUN

[David]

swap the tempered glass for bullet-proof. I've broken tempered glass patio doors. It's not that hard.

[Lee Michaels]

A ferro cement geodesic dome.

[Paul Kierstead]

Perhaps a change of goverment or country is what you really need then.

[Notan]

"It's not that hard."

A little play on words, David?

Notan

[Upscale]

A $10,000,000 budget.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Some of the codes for building at the shores take some of this into consideration already. Most have to be raised about eight feet and no utilities below that.

I'd probably use ICF construction.

or While the outside may have superficial damage, the walls would not collapse. Shutters for the windows.

Plenty of supplies on hand, but I'd also have some sort of water filtration/purification system. Generator, of course, but I'm now sure that the best fuel would be. You'd want at least a two week fuel supply and something easily replenished if longer term is needed.

[Chris]

Yes, but he was looting, so it was ok.

[Toller]

In the Keys it is assumed you can't evaculate, so they are built to withstand hurricanes. I don't know details, but they are all on piers with heavy storm shutters. Of course, they are above sealevel; not below it like NO. I suppose the piers would have to be 15' higher, which doesn't seem practical.

[GeeDubb]

Add Composting toilets, solar electric power and a large water storage tank (3000+) Dome type concrete construction with garage on bottom with water flow through capability (open doors to let storm surge through) oh wait, I saw one of these on Discovery channel already built in Florida. Built to withstand over 300 mph winds.

Gary

[Matt Whiting]

I'd build it using reinforced concrete with metal shutters to close over the windows, it's own 30 day water supply and enough fuel to power a backup generator for that same amount of time, and I'd build it on columns at least 20' tall above the ground, or whatever the storm surge level from a cat 5 storm is expected to be in that area.

Matt

[Charlie Bress]

I was going to suggest a trailer hitch.

Charlie

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