The mammoth storm (projecting hurricane force winds up to 125 miles from the center) caused widespread devastation around Galveston, destroying or damaging tens of thousands of homes and killing at least 36 people in Texas alone.

Yet for all the heartbreaking statistics of the disaster, the performance of Galveston's Beachtown development serves as a very important—and hopeful—lesson on how to build homes in hurricane-prone areas so that more lives and property can be saved. Indeed, Beachtown has attracted national press attention for its remarkable condition after Hurricane Ike.

Beachtown is the first community in the city to incorporate the "Fortified…for Safe Living" program in its housing construction. Living areas, for example, are built approximately 14 feet above ground, while breakaway panels affixed to the stilts underneath allow storm surges a path of least resistance.

The "Fortified…for Safe Living" program also requires beyond-code construction methods for building envelopes, load paths and roofs. All entry doors and windows, for instance, must meet stringent impact resistance and pressure standards. Roof-to-wall straps, reinforced concrete block walls, and stronger roof bracing also help to create stronger structures.

Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/NASA/OSEI

Beachfront homes in the community feature even greater protections. These homes typically include "pre-cast or cast-in-place concrete pilings, hollow-core concrete floor structures with reinforced concrete tie-beams, steel portal structures encased in framed walls and the inclusion of welded steel plates as necessary," according to Beachtown's developer. The developer concedes that the additional measures add to the cost of each home, but believes it is a worthwhile expense in hurricane country.

(Listen to a radio interview conducted in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike with Chad Murphy, vice president of development in Beachtown here.)

Beachtown is one of the first communities to use James Hardie's new architectural-grade Artisan Lap, our premium line of fiber cement siding. Artisan Lap, like all James Hardie siding products, is approved for use in Wind Borne Debris Regions and High Velocity Hurricane Zones (Miami-Dade NOA 07-0418.04). Our products are also categorized as FEMA Class V flood resistant material (JHBP FEMA Class V).

"The James Hardie products installed on the Beachtown structures performed exceptionally well during Hurricane Ike," says Town Architect Chad Cooper. "The Artisan product installed at the 2008 Coastal Living Magazine Idea House and our other beachfront residences weathered the storm on par with all the Hardie products. I am very pleased with the Hardie products...both aesthetically and structurally. Bravo!"

The decision to use fortified construction methods and materials over and above those required by code have already made believers out of current Beachtown residents. Prospective buyers will also enjoy peace of mind knowing that when another storm threatens, their homes stand the best chance of any against the fury of Mother Nature.

Visit Beachtown online at: http://www.beachtowngalveston.com/

Streetscapes Online, Volume 31 <