Hurricanes.. America??

Question

I saw a programme on TV this morning about America trying to find solutions to the hurricanes they get because they destroy homes.

To me it's simple.

Stop building your houses out of sticks!!!

I mean, they build them out of wood for goodness sake. They basically live in a shed. They suffer severe hurricanes so why don't they build their houses out of bricks like we do everyone else???

Answer 1

Have you ever considered that people cannot afford proper housing... Do you think they would live in "sheds" if they could afford houses from bricks.

Dont be so arrogant.

Answer 2

I agree.  Hurricane Andrew caused so much damage because of the way houses were built, the roofs were not anchored to the frame of the house so when the wind blew the doors and windows out, it forced the roofs off the homes and destroyed them.  

There are ways to build storm proof homes.  One guy made his house round.  So now the wind easily passes around it and any damage is from flying objects.  When you present a flat surface to a strong wind, the structure is going to fail.

A cheaper more interesting way to reduce wind damage is to put a mesh screen around the house.  This breaks up the wind currents so it's chaotic and not concentrated.

For tornadoes, we should build round houses out of 15 inch thick concrete, with metal shutters on the windows and doors.  If your house weighs 250 tons, in ain't gonna go anywhere.  And it's fireproof too, so it's easier on insurance.  

Not building homes on flood plains helps too.  If someone is buying a house and the realtor says, "We haven't had a flood here in 50 years."  Run away, and fast.

Answer 3

Since the tornadoes are probably going to destroy the brick-houses as well, it would be cheaper to just build them from wood.

Answer 4

In modern brick homes the structure is still wood and the brick is just a veneer.