SURVIVING MONSTER HURRICANES IS THIS FLORIDA COMMUNITY’S SUPERPOWER, SAYS FEMA
- darcie750
- Dec 29, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 30, 2025
Experts share the main reason behind surviving severe storms is better building practices
Key Points:
The Federal Emergency Management Agency highlights how a community in Florida survived severe hurricanes virtually unscathed thanks to better building practices.
Storm resilient homes include the use of hurricane resistant materials and installation methods, such as quality metal roofs.
More resilient homes reduce the need to repair, replace and rebuild in areas prone to monster storms.
During Hurricane Milton which struck Florida in 2024, the wind speed in the town of Cortez reached an incredible 110 mph, causing significant damage as the storm impacted the area. Disaster struck again when Hurricane Helene also struck that fall.
Overall, the damage caused by both were among the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
Yet while hundreds of thousands in Florida and the Gulf Coast were hit hard, one pioneering community weathered the storms virtually unscathed. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) highlights Hunters Point, an 86-home community in Cortez, for its ability to survive such extreme conditions, thanks to advanced construction techniques used to enhance durability and safety.
In a case study, FEMA spotlights Hunters Point’s 2 key design and construction features that allowed it to stand up to extreme winds and hurricane conditions while other communities didn’t fare so well, including:
The use of hurricane resistant materials
Hunters Point roofs are constructed from steel, which have been proven to be longer-lasting, resilient and durable against wind uplift. Installed correctly, quality metal roofs are rated to withstand up to F2 tornado wind speeds (F-scale stands for the Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity, with F2 equaling wind speeds of 113-157 mph). They also resist leaks and are much less likely to puncture, tear or crack.
The FEMA case study offers additional proof that metal roofs are far better suited to Florida and the Gulf Coast’s climate and threat of monster storms. According to Florida officials at a hearing of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, asphalt shingle roofs—the most common type of roof in the U.S., including in the Gulf Coast region—only provide full protection against hurricane winds until they are about 10 years old.
FEMA points to other materials such as steel straps connecting each floor that create a continuous load path to enhance the building's ability to withstand high winds and windows equipped with hurricane-grade impact-resistant glass, as key features. The homes also are framed using two-by-six lumber instead of the standard two-by-fours, enhancing structural strength.
Elevation, Structural Integrity and Power Storage
According to FEMA, other factors that make Hunters Point resilient include being built 16 feet above the flood zone, significantly reducing the risk of flood damage. The homes’ solar panel systems are capable of providing and storing power for up to 10 days—essential during power outages and grid failures.
FEMA’s Hunters Point analysis highlights that “it is possible to build communities capable of withstanding extreme weather events.” And they don’t have to cost much more. As FEMA states, “the foresight shown by Hunters Point proves that there are affordable and highly cost-effective strategies that communities, local governments, landowners, developers, and tenants can put into practice.”
For more information, visit Hunters Point: Leading the Charge in Hurricane Resilience | FEMA.gov And check out stories from other homeowners in hurricane-prone areas who have had similar experiences. Listen as Alabama homeowners share their story having lived through Hurricane Ida.
