A PLACE TO LIVE People need safe places to live and work But the type of structures built in some areas might not work in others That’s because disastrous natural forces such as high winds floods and earthquakes vary from place to place 4
Throughout history housing designs have changed as people experienced nature’s destructive forces Homes leveled by tornadoes were replaced with hardy materials secured to stronger foundations On May 20 2013 a tornado roared through the city of Moore Oklahoma flattening entire neighborhoods and killing 25 people 5
Homes destroyed by a fl ood were often replaced by an elevated structure Houses devastated by an earthquake were rebuilt using stronger materials Over the years engineers have developed these solutions by defi ning an area’s natural threats then designing structures that resist and withstand those threats The goal making structures disaster-proof Double Duty Medieval castles were constructed to protect the residents from enemies However the stone and mortar used to build castles also protected the occupants from wind sandstorms and fi re The Royal Palace of Olite is a castle-palace in the town of Olite in Navarre Spain 6
Houses in the Florida Keys are elevated above the potential tidal or storm surge They are also engineered to withstand high wind 7
