Democrats Can Shift To Better Hurricane Defense

October 6, 2024
Jack R. Noel

Reading just one article about the afermath of Hurricane Helene is enough to get me thinking about the re-building and recovery to come. And it will come as fast as possible, that much is assured.
Setting aside the current political fussing, I think this is the best time to re-think our traditional way of recovering from hurricanes because it’s now certain there will be more fierce hurricanes in our future.

I want to highlight this simple fact: the lower the cost and greater the resistance, the better future housing designs will be. Our chief strength is our engineering prowess so let’s play to our strength.

Lowering carbon emissions is a remote dream. But immediate redesign is the best way to achieve a more survivable future.

So what should the new house design look like in reality? It should incorporate the strongest and least expensive materials available. If the word “concrete” just popped into your head, that’s what I’m talking about — concrete houses with solid foundations and chambered basements where desired.

The most used material will be made of concrete, brick and steel with closed foam insulation to prevent electric failures and the sprouting of mold. Such materials are…