While engineering advances have allowed for the construction of “hurricane proof” homes, such structures remain a rarity, even in the most vulnerable coastal areas of the United States. The reason: building homes that can withstand a Category 5 hurricane is prohibitively costly.

Kurt Gurley, associate professor of civil engineering at the University of Florida writes:

“There’s a cost associated with every degree of wind resistance. It can be done physically but it would be tremendously expensive.”

By definition, a Category 5 hurricane packs sustained winds of greater than 156 miles per hour, and storm surges in excess of 19 feet. Currently, few structures are built to withstand such forces, even in Miami-Dade County, considered one of the most hurricane prone regions in the country.

Estimates suggest that constructing homes to withstand such extreme enivornmental conditions could cost the homeowner an additional ten to twenty percent. And with only three Category 5 hurricanes making landfall in recorded history, such reinforcement is seldom deemed neccessary. Instead, many opt for the addition of storm shutters, viewed as a more economically viable alternative.

Image courtsey of www.noaa.gov