Hurricane straps attach the roof to the rest of the house and shutters protect windows.
Hot water heaters and utilities are placed off the floor in case of a flood. A whole house can even be raised up so that floodwaters can flow underneath. Click on the photos for a larger view. They take the form of plywood coverings, corregated metal, polycarbonates, and range in costs from hundreds to thousands of dollars. This home was spared damage from the rising Neuse River simply because it was elevated.