A Florida man’s efforts to batten down the hatches and prevent his home from being damaged by Hurricane Milton that hit the state earlier this week appear to have paid off.
In a photo that went viral, homeowner Pedro Casares of Orlando had the crazy idea of securing his family’s home in an attempt to prevent further damage when the Category 3 storm hit the area.
Despite the skepticism of those who saw the image before the storm, Casares’s advance planning appears to have saved the house from any significant damage.
Originally from Puerto Rico, Casares planted metal hooks in the ground embedded within 8 feet of cement.
Orlando resident Pedro Casares insured his entire home before Hurricane Milton.
After the storm, everything seemed to stay in place, including the roof.
Huge plastic straps, the type normally used to hold cargo containers in position on ships, were then attached to hooks in the floor to prevent the roof from lifting when the storm hit the area.
Casares spent $22,000 on the custom-made cement anchors and straps that lined the roof of the family home and are said to be able to support 5,400 pounds of weight.
The ingenious precautions came after the family was hit by a hurricane while living in Guaynabo on the Caribbean island, which saw the aluminum roof of their home nearly peel off.
tiktok user SimplyUniqueSmiles93Casares’ daughter, gave viewers a long-awaited tour of the house to allow fans to see how the house had fared.
‘The house, fortunately we are fine. There are a lot of leaves everywhere but everything is still intact. There are many affected areas near our house,” he explained during a walk.
Casares’ daughter gave viewers a much-anticipated tour of the house to allow fans to see how the house had fared.
The TikToker said the house remained unscathed and not a single tile was missing.
The family says the straps will remain in the house until hurricane season ends in December.
‘The house is intact. Not a single tile or tile has been lifted from the roof. Everything’s fine. We won’t take off our straps until the hurricane passes!’ he added.
Before the storm hit, social media users were captivated by Casares’ idea.
Most said they were impressed with his efforts, calling him a “legend” and praising him for “thinking outside the box.”
“This is the most Florida thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” one person joked.
“Everyone is laughing now, but this guy will be a legend when all the other houses are floating down the street and he’s sitting in the pool in his new living room watching TV powered by a Starlink terminal,” someone else wrote .
‘I really respect the effort. I hope it’s effective,’ another user added.
“He’s thinking outside the box, he needs more people like him…” reads a fourth tweet.
A fifth said: ‘Bro secured his house like a piano when he moved in. Absolute legend.’
The straps can support 5,400 pounds of weight and are connected to metal hooks attached to concrete sunk 8 feet underground.
The family also covered the windows to prevent entry during strong winds.
Florida residents trudged through flooded streets, picked up scattered debris and assessed damage to their homes after Hurricane Milton devastated coastal communities and spawned a barrage of deadly tornadoes.
TOAt least 10 people had died and rescuers were still saving people from swollen rivers, but many expressed relief that Milton was not worse off.
the hurricane It avoided a direct hit on densely populated Tampa, and the deadly storm surge scientists feared never materialized.
Florida’s vital tourism industry has begun to return to normal with the reopening of Walt Disney World and other theme parks.
The state’s busiest airport, in Orlando, also resumed full operations on Friday.
