Hurricane winds can destroy a mobile home, even if it is well anchored. Mobile homes that are installed on a concrete slab tend to fare better than those that are simply secured to the ground. A mobile home weighs much less than a house built on concrete or foundation. However, because of this difference in weight, the wind itself can do significantly more damage. A 200-mph gust of wind can only lift about 2 pounds of weight off the ground, but it can throw away over 800 pounds!
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How much wind will destroy a mobile home?
Mobile homes are not designed to withstand strong winds. They are typically rated for winds of 100 mph or less. By comparison, a typical site-built home is designed by an engineer and is rated to withstand winds of 110 mph or more.The most common failure seen on the roof of a mobile home is lifting up and blowing off, with the roof then collapsing from the inside outward.
Because mobile homes are not designed for high wind resistance, it’s important that you know how to protect your investment.Mobile homes can be damaged in any windstorm, but the three most dangerous types of windstorms are tornadoes, hurricanes and microbursts.
Dangers Of High Wind To Mobile Homes
Ever since mobile homes have been built, high winds have always been a source of worry. Many people have died in mobile homes during hurricanes and other severe weather events. But if you know how to prepare your home ahead of time, you can greatly reduce the dangers that high wind presents.Most manufacturers build their homes to withstand a 90-mph wind gust, but even if they do survive, they can be damaged by winds less than 90 mph. This is why it’s important to take precautions before a storm arrives.
The first thing you should do is check the tie-down system for your home and make sure everything is tight and secure.Then, after a storm has passed, inspect your home for damage and make any repairs that are necessary. If you don’t do this, then when the next storm comes it might blow off your roof or push your house off its foundation.
How strong winds can destroy a mobile home?
The wind velocity needed to destroy a mobile home is approximately 150 miles per hour (mph). Mobile homes can withstand winds up to 100 mph if they are anchored properly.Mobile homes are light, and strong winds easily blow them away because the roof can be torn off by the wind.Most mobile homes have metal frames with wooden or plywood walls. The roof is made of metal, wood or tar paper. The windows are not reinforced, and once the roof is lifted by the wind, it’s easy for the rest of the home to succumb as well.
Typical mobile homes are not secured to the foundation by straps or other devices. While mobile homes do have tie-down holes on each corner, most owners don’t use them because they don’t know about them.Winds stronger than 100 mph can cause major damage to a mobile home because it will lift the roof and tear it away from its anchors. Once this happens, there is no way for a mobile home to withstand such winds without further damage occurring.
When mobile homes are destroyed by the wind
Mobile homes may be decent temporary shelters, but they do not last long in hurricanes or other severe weather. As a result, mobile home residents are always at higher risk of injury and death during violent storms. In the US, tornadoes account for most of the mobile home related deaths in the country. The National Weather Service estimates that mobile homes account for approximately 5% of all tornado fatalities annually. This is especially tragic because more than 20% of all Americans live in mobile homes.
Mobile homes are particularly vulnerable to strong winds because they are constructed from lightweight materials that can be easily twisted and thrown around by the wind. In addition, most mobile homes are not tied down to their foundations and can be easily lifted off their foundations during a storm. Once a mobile home is lifted off its foundation it will collapse during high winds. The insurance industry has estimated that a single-wide mobile home (14×70) will be destroyed by winds at or above 70 mph. Double-wide mobile homes (20×60) will be destroyed by winds at or above 90 mph.
What to do if your mobile home gets destroyed by winds?
Mobile homes are very light and can be destroyed easily by winds. But that being said, it really depends on the type of mobile home you have and where it’s located.Old mobile homes with thin frames or ones that don’t have tie downs will get destroyed by winds. For singlewide mobile homes, 90mph+ winds will destroy them. For doublewide mobile homes, 70+ mph winds will destroy them.
Even if a mobile home has been tied down and you live in a windy area, the frame of the mobile home should still hold up fine. But the siding and roof may still get blown away.So, how do you know how much wind will destroy your mobile home? It all depends on the quality of your mobile home, how well it was built, how good of shape it’s in (how old it is), and what kind of preparation you’ve made.
Conclusion
There are several ways to protect your mobile home from getting destroyed by winds. These include adding the hurricane straps, plywood and double paneled windows, insulating the walls, adding the footers under homes, and even a storm shutter.