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Why do they build wooden houses in America despite frequent hurricanes and fires?

In these hours theHurricane Milton and, as happens every time an extreme phenomenon of this type occurs, we ask ourselves: why are they there in the USA? so many wooden housesespecially in those areas such as the south-eastern ones which are often hit by hurricanes? In reality there are various reasons ranging from economic reasons to practices but which, as we all know, are more vulnerable to destruction in the event of major weather events.

The advantages of wooden houses

The first reason why wooden houses are so popular in the USA is related to wide availability of the materialsince the times of the first European settlers. The huge forests – or rather, those that were enormous in the past – have always provided abundant quantities of woodallowing homes to be built more effectively quick compared to brick ones. Furthermore, building a wooden house is relatively simpler and quicker also from a technical point of view, also because it is easier to find manpower.

All these characteristics determine an important reduction in costs: it is estimated that a home in masonry has a price between 10 and 60% higher compared to the counterpart in wood – not to mention the fact that in many states wooden houses enjoy a lower taxation.

The problems of wooden houses

Obviously all this brings with it a important downside: in case of fire or, even more, of hurricane, wooden houses can turn into a real trap, both due to strong winds and due to flooding and storm surges.

A possible solution is that of fortification, both during the construction phase and at a later stage. These anti-hurricane measures include various technical measures to improve wind and flood resistance, such as metal barriers reinforcement at the roof, external cladding, better foundations and waterproof frames.

The other possible solution is to build houses with one concrete structure: by doing this the use of wooden boards for the external coverings remains but, at least, the load-bearing structure it is much more resistant. This option is increasingly popular, especially in hurricane-prone areas: as reported by Timefrom the 2018 al 2019 this technical solution saw a 46% increase, the number of homes doubled compared to 2009.

A final option, which can be integrated with the previous two, is that ofinsurance. In fact, by law citizens are not required to have it, but the FEMA, which is the Federal Agency for Emergency Management, has made supplementary insurance packages available at an average cost of approximately $400 to protect themselves from possible catastrophic events.