Hurricanes Helena and Milton swept through with winds reaching up to 225 km/h, flattening many rows of houses, except for a few that remained intact due to the lack of gaps that could create pressure.
The hurricanes Helene and Milton ravaged the southeastern United States, yet some homes stood resilient amidst the rubble. Satellite images captured areas where entire blocks were leveled after two powerful storms with winds up to 225 km/h, except for a few houses, according to Business Insider.
Debris surrounding intact homes after Hurricane Helena hit Horseshoe Beach, Florida. (Photo: AFP).
“It’s not luck,” said Leslie Chapman-Henderson, president and CEO of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH). FLASH is a non-profit organization that promotes disaster-resistant home construction and provides guidelines for storm preparedness. “I believe when you look at a house that survives a hurricane, 9 times out of 10 it will be due to the roof being securely attached and the garage door remaining intact. These are the two biggest clues in the case of strong winds.”
The garage door can make a colossal difference. Hurricanes can cause a house to collapse when winds enter through windows or doors. When those gaps allow wind in, the pressure inside the house increases, filling it up like a balloon. “You not only have wind blowing through the roof that can cause it to lift, but you also face internal pressure that can blow off the roof,” said Michael O’Reilly, an engineer and construction lecturer at the University of Colorado.
The garage door is perhaps the largest and weakest gap in the house. According to Chapman-Henderson, it is the most critical area in the home that needs to be boarded up before a storm and the first consideration for upgrades. FLASH suggests three options depending on budget:
- The cheapest measure is to board up the garage door before the storm hits.
- The next option is to invest in a storm kit for the garage door, which includes braces and supports to permanently reinforce the door.
- Finally, homeowners can spend money on a new garage door that can withstand high winds.
While the garage door is the largest gap in the home, windows are the most numerous. According to O’Reilly, many buildings withstand the onset of a storm until a large window or door is blown out. This increases pressure leading to the risk of roof failure. This is why the Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends using shutters or impact-resistant glass to reinforce windows.
In addition to gaps like windows and doors, experts emphasize the importance of the connection between walls and the roof. Roofs are securely attached to walls during construction using metal straps. O’Reilly noted that modern homes in places like Florida have good connections between walls and roofs due to building codes. Homes built before the late 19th century may have weaker connections and are more likely to lose roofs in major storms. According to FLASH, connections can be reinforced by pouring adhesive into the contact points between roof sheathing and rafters.
Global temperature increases due to human emissions are making hurricanes more intense, partly because tropical storms absorb energy from warm water. As ocean temperatures rise, storms can easily strengthen. Increasingly, storms are rapidly intensifying, like Hurricane Milton, meaning wind speeds can significantly increase in a short period. Simultaneously, the rising temperatures in the atmosphere allow air to hold more moisture. Therefore, storms can bring heavier rainfall along their paths.
