The devastation in the Bahamas from Hurricane Dorian is truly heartbreaking. The primary reason for building homes the way we do is to keep our homeowners safe during catastrophic storms like Dorian was. We’re extremely grateful that all of the homeowners we have spoken to are all safe and sound. As the recovery efforts begin, please help us support the Bahamian people by donating to our matching relief fund. Click here for details.
In recent decades, Deltec’s innovation in high wind areas has created homes that are exceptionally strong against hurricane-force winds. Here are some of the amazing stories from the Bahamas and Hurricane Dorian:
Scotland Cay
This home, built in 2018, is on a barrier island just east of Great Abaco, and took a direct hit as Dorian made its first landfall. With sustained winds of 185 mph and gusts of up to 220 mph, this home stood to an unprecedented storm for 36 hours. Even though the home lost roofing and siding materials, the structure performed the Deltec way. The homeowners reported, “All in all, we survived as one of the best.”
Green Turtle Cay
This home, built in 2006, is also on a barrier island just northeast of Great Abaco, and took a direct hit as Dorian made its first landfall with sustained winds of 185 mph and gusts of up to 220 mph. The homeowner reported that his house was the last home standing in his part of the island.
Elbow Cay
This 2007 home is just east of Great Abaco, where the Category 5 storm made its first landfall. The children of the homeowners reported to us, “This is our parent’s home in Abaco on Elbow Cay. We got to speak to them today, the Deltec did great. The doors were blown in from the tornadoes but the structure is sound and they are safe”
Elbow Cay
This home, built in the early 1990s, did not survive Hurricane Dorian. We have been in contact with the homeowners, who we’re grateful are safe and sound. We are offering our design services to design them a modern, hurricane- resistant Deltec. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by this catastrophic storm.
Why did this home not stand up to the hurricane?
Deltec homes from this era were not designed or built in the same way as today. While this home was beautiful, it was not designed to be a hurricane resistant home. The advances in our engineering over the last two decades have come from extensive innovations such as thicker walls, substantially stronger connections for the roof and the foundation, shear walls, and a process to ensure all homes in the Caribbean are engineered to the highest standards from the US.
It is amazing to see the performance of the innovative Deltec design against this storm of unparalleled strength. However, our work is never done, and our engineers are constantly looking at how to make our product stronger and more resilient to the effects of climate change. We’re more determined than ever to change the way the world builds.
Please help us support the Bahamian people by donating to our matching relief fund. Click here for details.