With a proper building code its possible to withstand storms up to cat five at 155 mph. Beyond that its always tough but beyond five is very rare.Is it expensive,very,some of it material but lots of the cost is labor.Smaller homes less expensive, building costs in the Keys $225-$325 per foot.
1,000 sq ft. home $275 plus lot,bottom now is around $375 to 400 k.
2,000 sq ft. home,mega bucks.
An elevated foundation/slab supporting a concrete dome, with bolt-on corrugated steel shutters.
Is it expensive.
Not as expensive as seeing your entire lifetime blown away inside a few hours.
Flood prone area also should have elevated roadways (why do you think they call them highways)
Nice breakdown Rod. Didn’t like higher prices when we built our Fla home and all the codes, including ties roofrafters needing to be secured to structure , minimal wind load impacts on windows, etc, but as you state minus a direct hit by true sustained wind speeds of a 4 or 5 can make it through the experience