ICF - THE GULF COAST SOLUTION?

Okay fellow Gulf Coastians, let's recap here ...

We just got our tails waxed by the biggest storm to ever hit the U.S. But storm trajedy is no stranger to us is it? Remember CAMILLE? FREDERICK? ANDREW? IVAN? BETSY? ...

How many storms have hit us in the last hundred years?

Now, we can be like many of our YANKEE brethren up north - and say that this area isn't worth the effort to live in and that we're idiots for living here. They say we should MOVE out of here - as long as we don't move next door to them!

Don't listen to 'em - they lost the PIONEER spirit LOOOONG AGO. Down here in the Gulf States though - that pioneer spirit is alive and well. Not only that, we have to save our Yankee brothers up north from themselves. Without us - they'd have no oil because they're all afraid of the ecological consequences of drilling and refining (little do they know that 30% of the seafood they consume is caught right alongside these offshore oil rigs down here. Shhhhh!)

So the tough amongst us will rebuild ... but ...

Why don't we do it a little smarter this time? We know another "big one" is going to come - it's just a matter of time. Why don't we take some steps now and BEAT THAT THING when it comes after us?

One thing we can do is put some SANITY into our home construction. Why do we build houses down here the same way they build 'em in California? This isn't California - our storms (and our women) down here are twice as HOT as anything in California. We need a new method of building down here that takes into account the realities of the Gulf States environment.

How about ICF? I'm talking INSULATED CONCRETE FORM houses? We can make those things asthetically pleasing these days. Check out the advantages ...

1. MUCH STRONGER than a house built out of tooth picks. In fact, up to NINE TIMES STRONGER than an ordinary "stick frame" house. These bad boys have been known to sometimes survive even a direct hit from a tornado. The walls of an ICF house can withstand 250 mph winds. I've heard old-timers tell me that Camille generated 200 mph winds where it came ashore - and I've heard many "scientists" dispute that they were even that high. Regardless, a structure that can withstand 250 mph winds would have had little to fear from Camille. And it appears now that the winds from KATRINA were actually lower than those Camille dished out. KATRINA was more deadly only because it was so horrifically large.

2. UP TO 50% MORE FUEL EFFICIENT. Let's face it - the rest of the country is going to need more and more energy, and they're going to continue to look to the Gulf States because we produce and refine it and aren't panty-wastes like the Californians are - who are scared of the ecological effects. So let's take one for the team here and reduce our energy consumption. The personal benifit here is to YOUR wallet - imagine spending 40-50% LESS for your electric / gas bill every month.

3. REDUCED INSURANCE COST. Let's face it, we NEED to put the insurance companies out of business. Those of us who paid homeowners insurance for so many years expecting them to be a "good neighbor" when the big one came - were sadly disappointed. Additionally, the insurance companies want to reduce their exposure along the Gulf Coast - so insurance is only going to go higher if we don't take hurricane mitigating steps in the building of our homes. ICF reduces insurance premiums because it's so strong. Additionally, the insurance companies have figured out that CONCRETE doesn't catch fire!

4. WHO'S AFRAID OF TERMITES? Termites are terrible down here - but when you live in an ICF home - no worries - termites don't eat concrete.

COST PROHIBITIVE? An ICF home costs on average about 4 percent more than a stick house. That 4 percent is recouped in the first few years in reduced insurance and utility costs.

There are other options also - LOG HOMES are tough too, and stand up very well to hurricanes. The bottom line here is this - rather than be "quitters" and just chuck it all for a move to North Dakota - we can use our heads and rebuild BETTER and STRONGER in the place we all love!