Current:Home > reviewsHow dome homes can help protect against natural disasters -NextFrontier Finance
How dome homes can help protect against natural disasters
View
Date:2025-04-12 00:54:16
Saint Bernard, Louisiana — Max Begue loves almost everything about living in coastal Louisiana, but hurricane season brings back memories of Katrina in 2005, when his home and neighborhood were washed away, almost as if they never existed.
"We all did," Begue told CBS News when asked if he considered leaving after Katrina. "And a lot of people left. But I chose to stay."
He also chose a geodesic dome for his new house, made of more than 300 interwoven triangles which disperse the wind's pressure.
"I built the dome because I didn't want to go through the process of losing another house," Begue explained.
The dome home is able to withstand winds topping 200 mph. It makes it, essentially, hurricane-proof.
"They thought I was a kook," Begue said of people's reactions when he told them he was building a dome home.
That is not the case anymore. The spherical home is also energy-efficient because surface area is minimized. Begue's electric bills are usually less than $100 a month, about a third of what his neighbors pay.
Domes have long been a part of American architecture, built for their resiliency. Famous examples include the world's first domed stadium, the Houston Astrodome, and the majestic iron dome of the U.S. Capitol.
"We really want to be able to show how geodesic domes are not just stable and resilient, but they are also imminently efficient, and portable, and practical," said Abeer Saha, curator at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
Dome-shaped buildings made of concrete can withstand wildfires, floods and earthquakes. Their shape also allows them to disperse tremendous weight without collapsing. Construction costs are generally higher, but so is the chance of survival.
"We're absolutely not thinking enough about the role of housing and structures in climate change," Saha said.
As part of a focus on extreme weather, the Smithsonian recently re-assembled Weatherbreak — the first geodesic dome built in North America — after four decades in storage. It was first built in 1950 in Montreal, Canada.
- In:
- Storm Damage
- Climate Change
- architecture
- Hurricane
Janet Shamlian is a CBS News correspondent based in Houston, Texas. Shamlian's reporting is featured on all CBS News broadcasts and platforms including "CBS Mornings," the "CBS Evening News" and the CBS News Streaming Network, CBS News' premier 24/7 anchored streaming news service.
Twitter InstagramveryGood! (84)
Related
- US auto safety agency seeks information from Tesla on fatal Cybertruck crash and fire in Texas
- Sabrina Carpenter Shuts Down Lip-Syncing Rumors Amid Her Short n’ Sweet Tour
- Opinion: One missed field goal keeps Georgia's Kirby Smart from being Ohio State's Ryan Day
- Tigers ace Tarik Skubal shuts down Astros one fastball, one breath, and one howl at a time
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- 15-year-old arrested on murder charge in fatal shooting of Chicago postal worker
- Why NCIS Alum Pauley Perrette Doesn't Want to Return to Acting
- Sarah Paulson on the rigors of 'Hold Your Breath' and being Holland Taylor's Emmy date
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Doctor charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s death is expected to plead guilty
Ranking
- RFK Jr. closer to getting on New Jersey ballot after judge rules he didn’t violate ‘sore loser’ law
- Are LGBTQ Jews welcome in Orthodox communities? This is how they are building spaces of their own
- Arizona man admitted to decapitating his mother before her surprise party, police say
- Opinion: One missed field goal keeps Georgia's Kirby Smart from being Ohio State's Ryan Day
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- Queen Elizabeth II Battled Bone Cancer, Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson Says
- Arkansas medical marijuana supporters sue state over decision measure won’t qualify for ballot
- Subway train derails in Massachusetts and injures some riders
Recommendation
Organizers cancel Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna over fears of an attack
The Latest: Trio of crises loom over final the campaign’s final stretch
Opinion: One missed field goal keeps Georgia's Kirby Smart from being Ohio State's Ryan Day
Michael Jordan’s 23XI and a 2nd team sue NASCAR over revenue sharing model
Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
Man charged in California courthouse explosion also accused of 3 arson fires
Firefighters stop blaze at western Wisconsin recycling facility after more than 20 hours
Atlanta rapper Rich Homie Quan died from an accidental drug overdose, medical examiner says