Nehmo wrote:
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?


Some places to start:

1: The buildings at the top of Mount Washington are a good example to
follow for wind resistance. They withstood a storm in which gusts
topped 230mph, the highest winds ever recorded. Worth a look if you
want a house that'll handle any winds Mother Nature might blow its way.

2: The dutch have designed well for slow rising water. They've built
houses that float. Not house boats, mind you. These homes have
floating concrete foundations that will rise and fall with rising water
levels. (I knew that thesis I heard of where a stoner physics student
designd and floated a concrete boat and got credit for it would have
some use somewhere, but I digress).

An idea I had was a house with a two story garage and an amphibian car
in it. Living area on the second floor. When slow rising water comes,
the car/boat rises up, and I can go out of my house like I normally
would, climb into my car/boat, and drive off.


3: Storm surge is already designed for in many parts of the Gulf Coast.
Houses are up on stilts, as many of our Florida contingent here on
alt.architecture can explain.

4: As for unwanted government and looter home invasion, the best
defense is you. Your eyes and ears, a video camera, and a gun. If you
design your home to physically withstand the worst storms, it logically
follows that you should be able to stay there safely during the worst
storms, and the best defense against looters is a physical presence and
a gun; the best defense against government is a video camera.

A house that's a veritable fortress against intruders wouldn't be
pleasant to live during the 99.9% of the time when there's not a
hurricane pummelling it or looters attacking it. That's my view anyway.




5: Another thing to think about is plumbing. Namely, when the power
goes out, the water will as well. I've seen and smelled a toilet that's
been full and not flushed for 2 weeks straight; you -do not- want that
in your house.

Some auxiliary toilet, an out house even, that doesn't rely on running
water is certainly in-order for a hurricane proof house.