Hurricane Resistant Domes

The geodesic dome was selected to sit atop an elevated Southeastern Florida landscape for a reason...the structure is hurricane resistant.

According to Wikipedia, "The physical geometry of a building affects its aerodynamic properties and how well it can withstand a storm. Geodesic dome roofs or buildings have low drag coefficients and can withstand higher wind forces than a square building of the same area."

CBS News, on February 15, 2014, discussed the strength of geodesic domes, which are made by "assembling triangular building materials." While they reportedly do not have "the exact same strength as their cement counterparts," they are still able to withstand very high winds.

NBC News reported, on September 16, 2004, that a "Dome Home" withstood the rigors of Hurricane Ivan on Pensacola Beach. An added benefit is that water washes around a dome, as opposed to crushing it.

We need to critically assess how strong geodesic domes can be in the face of a Category 3, 4 and 5 hurricane. So far, the concept is very promising.

Video courtesy Discovery Channel's "Raging Planet" and You Tube, August 29, 2012.