Last year’s hurricane season was one of the most costly on record for the United States. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported $306 billion in damages. With hurricanes intensifying, homes in these hurricane-prone areas are starting to be constructed with stronger building materials so they have the ability to withstand against the storms, but AccuWeather reports this type of home isn't catching on as quickly as we think.

“There’s just a lot of resistance from people to doing things differently and [in a way] that might have higher initial upfront costs,” said Jeremy Gregory, research scientist and executive director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Concrete Sustainability Hub.

It could cost 15 percent more to build a home with a sturdier, concrete frame rather than one constructed from wood, according to experts.

Hurricane-resistant home development does exist, however. Architects and engineers have designed homes built to handle flooding and hurricane-force winds. Stronger building materials, including ultra-high-performance concrete and bendable glass, are also being researched and utilized in some structures, but these types of innovations are currently not widespread, with primarily wealthy homeowners opting for these types of upgrades.

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