Like the rest of us, Vivian Wolfe weathered Hurricane Fran wondering ifher Wilmington home would ever be the same. The house survived, andthanks to changes being put into place this week, it's better than it'sever been.
Construction crews are "retrofitting" Wolfe's home to make it more durableagainst violent weather. The process includes special brackets and steelrods that tie the home together, from the roof to the foundation. Afederal grant from a partnership called "Blue Sky" is paying for Wolfe'simprovements to make a point.
"Blue Sky" architect, Ben Cahoon, says by working on Wolfe's home, he isable to demonstrate that yes, you can retrofit a home to be more resistantagainst hurricanes. You can do it easily, without a lot of destruction tothe building.
Organizers want every North Carolina homeowner to consider retrofitting.Even though you would have pay for the improvements now, disaster agencieslike FEMA say it will cost less than paying for repairs later.
"When something like this comes around again, homes will be strengthened,"says FEMA Coordinator David Thomas. "They will be elevated, or out ofharms way altogether, and FEMA dollars can be more wisely spent on otherinitiatives."
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