These Amazing Hurricane-Proof Homes Withstood Hurricane Dorian

Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas last week, killing at least 20 people and causing waist-deep floods.

The Category 5 hurricane, with wind speeds of up to 185 miles (297.7 km) per hour, destroyed around 13,000 homes.

One design company, Deltec Homes, has been building circular houses for the past 50 years that can withstand hurricanes. Amazingly, their structures in the Bahamas have withstood the strong winds of Dorian.

RELATED: WIND FARMS WEAKEN HURRICANES BY REDUCING PRECIPITATION, REVEALS NEW STUDY

Circular design

Houses by Deltec Homes are built in circular shapes, meaning the winds of a strong storm or hurricane flow around them, rather than putting pressure on one side of the building.

As Business Insider reports, Deltec sources its wood from a mill in Georgia where each board is tested to make sure it's strong enough to withstand the conditions of a strong storm.

Sturdy foundations

Deltec Homes' designs go beyond aerodynamic shapes. The company also installs its homes with impact windows. These are laminated and contain a synthetic inner sheet that prevents the glass from shattering if it is hit by an object. 

This is very important, as, during a hurricane, one of the leading causes of a house being torn apart is a window shattering. With the window broken, the air pressure rises inside the house, and the building is torn apart from the inside. 

What's more, Deltec also offers the option of a metal hurricane strap that tethers the roof of the home to its foundation.

Following the immediate effects of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, the Red Cross reported that about 500 families needed emergency housing.

Deltec's president, Steve Linton, spoke to Business Insider saying that he had spoken with a few Deltec homeowners from the Bahamas who said they are "doing great."

The homes have withstood Hurricanes Katrina, Irma, Harvey, Michael, Dorian, and countless other storms.

With storms becoming increasingly frequent, and stronger, Linton says the company is constantly improving its designs. Storms like Dorian, he said, "raise the bar" for Deltec to create the safest homes possible.