Can Tiny Homes Withstand Hurricanes?
Hurricanes are common occurrences in the United States. In fact, areas like Florida, where they are tiny home friendly, are prone to these natural calamities. This makes people wonder: are these sustainable and mobile homes built to withstand Mother Nature’s wrath?Â
Tiny House - Tiny Home Withstands Hurricane Experience …
n 2017, Hurricane Irma, a category 5 hurricane, visited Florida. Homeowners were deeply concerned about the safety of their homes, particularly those who owned tiny homes.Â
Fortunately, many of those small structures survived nature’s wrath.Â
According to Tiny House And Beyond, homeowner Jeremy Ricci, a homeowner of a house vacation resort on Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota, did the necessary precautions to keep his abode safe.
He pulled every tiny home unit together and secured them before evacuating the area. Fortunately, after the storm had passed, every unit did not incur any damage.Â
In fact, his tiny homes were the first ones to have power restored ahead of the standard residences.Â
This proves that contrary to popular belief, tiny homes, despite their puny size and mobility, can withstand hurricanes.Â
Homeowner Tim Davidson also experienced the same fate. Â He is the owner of Tiffany the Tiny Home, that was also hit by Hurricane Irma which packed winds up to 95 mph. Â His home, too, remained intact after the Category One storm hit his hometown.Â
Similarly, Barb Diaz’s Take-Me-Home unit was also situated in the Gracious RV & Tiny House Park in Okeechobee when the hurricane struck. She was forced to evacuate the premises and was worried that the storm could damage her abode completely.
She said that before the evacuation, the park manager and a maintenance man helped by anchoring her house to keep the storm from destroying it. Â
It was tied up with ropes and two anchors were strapped to its base and the front-end of her home.Â
The windows of the tiny home were also bolted with aluminum awnings to withstand winds and were only installed two weeks before the hurricane hit her town.Â
Surprisingly, the Take-Me-Home unit along with other tiny houses in the vicinity did withstand category 5 Irma and remained unscathed!Â
How Can Hurricane Proof Tiny Homes Survive?Â
The first areas to look at when securing a tiny home from hurricane damage is to assess its capacity.Â
You need to know the size of the house and the type of the structure, its base, and how many anchors you would need in anchoring your house to keep it in place.Â
Hurricane ties or tie-downs are effective ways of making sure your tiny houses are safe from calamities associated with storms and other natural disasters. Anchoring your tiny house with these heavy-duty straps and anchors will keep you safe and the units in place.
There are several types of anchors and the most appropriate one to use for a tiny home would depend upon the type of ground that the unit is built on.Â
This method can be used properly when the tiny homes are built with dee rings. These are the parts of the tiny houses where the ropes would be wrapped around.  Most tiny homes are built with this feature.  It is best that you ensure your tiny house has them installed long before the storm hits your area.
What Are The Types Of Hurricane-Proof Tiny Houses?Â
Hurricanes hit towns with high winds, heavy rain, and sometimes, the heavy storm surges would cause sever flooding that would destroy several homes during storms.Â
Luckily, there are tiny homes built specifically to withstand these forces of nature. In fact, they are mobile enough, like a tiny house on wheels, that you could bring your home along as you evacuate your hometown. This keeps you from worrying about whether you still have a house to come back to after the storm hits.Â
Cubicco Cabana. Contrary to popular belief, there are quite a number of calamity-proof tiny homes.  One of them is the Cubicco Cabana that can withstand Category Five winds.Â
This is a tiny house that has been specifically engineered to survive extreme weather conditions and has been approved by the State of Florida.
It is a tiny house that is 8 x 12 and includes insulation, roofing, finishes, steel support legs, screws, bolts, sealants and lifting brackets. The sum total of the package costs around $17,000. You may also opt for rainwater catchment and solar panels for an added price.Â
This type of tiny house is also built for the purpose of long-term conservation and environmentally friendly plans. It is energy-efficient and it has a modern and sleek look. It was originally introduced in the Netherlands but also has a branch in Miami, Florida.
The Cubicco Cabana is made according to the 180 MPH High-Velocity Hurricane Zone Florida Building Code. It has laminated beams and follows a no-waste, recycled policy. It can also be assembled anywhere and is extremely mobile.Â
Atelierworkshop Port-A-Bach. Another hurricane-proof tiny home design is the Port-A-Bach. This is a shipping container home that is tiny but also withstands strong winds. They are made of steel and can easily be closed up whenever a hurricane is due to hit your town.Â
Port-A-Bach is a portable and secure tiny home that has a high-level finished and is also environmentally-friendly. It is also extremely affordable and is a sustainable family home that houses two adults and two children.Â
These tiny houses are built so that it can be transported via helicopter or truck and can easily be installed with minimal impact to the area. It can also be unfolded but is a secure unit for situ storage or relocation.
This means that you can take your home with you if evacuation is necessary during stormy seasons.Â
It also has a fully enclosed exterior steel shell, has large internal storage cupboard and shelves, a stainless steel kitchen and fitting, has a bathroom with an open shower, a sink and a composting toilet.Â
The interiors follow a fabric screen system that offers open living space and comes with double bedrooms, bunk beds, a dressing room, a bathroom, and one kitchen.Â
The exterior follows a canvass exterior screen system that supports an indoor and outdoor flow. The six concrete footings are also non-invasive and support a wide array of ground conditions.Â
Prefab Deltec Homes. This tiny home covers 300 square feet and is also designed to withstand strong winds during hurricane season.Â
In fact, energy from the wind is dispersed around the structure and its roof pitch also reduces the lift. Â Its reinforced windows are installed with impact glass that keeps water from entering the tiny house. Â
Sol Duc Cabin. Unlike the other homes, Sol Duc Cabin was built to avoid floodwaters from destroying your home.
Made by Olson Kundig Architects, the sleek tiny home occupies 350 square feet and can easily be raised up on stilts.
Although it was built primarily and engineered to withstand the ravages of flood, it can also withstand strong winds and rain as well.Â
Truffle House.  Similarly, the Truffle House allows you to hide from Mother Nature’s wrath by staying put even when the storm comes with floodwaters.
Design by Spain’s Ensamble Studio, it is made with local soil, concrete, and hay bales that can last for years.  Its interior is specially designed to latch itself to the ground in the event that floodwaters enter your home.
It may not be practical since it’s not as mobile as the others but it does assure you that you still have a home to go back to after the floods subside.Â
Yes, Tiny Homes Can Withstand Hurricanes
It is a common perception that one of the disadvantages of tiny homes is its susceptibility to the ravages of hurricanes. Contrary to popular belief, these tiny house designs debunk this myth.
Tiny homes are just as sturdy and unmovable by the ravages of calamities. In fact, the mobile ones give you the option that no standard house can give – you can take it anywhere, especially when your town compels you to evacuate before the storm hits.Â
On top of that, tiny homes are also sustainable, affordable, and equally as sturdy as concrete houses. They are so energy-efficient that by the time power in town comes back, your tiny house is already powered up before anyone else’s.
