- [Richard] How far would
you go to protect your home from Mother Nature? While some people decide to cut
their losses against floods, fires and tornadoes, others go to absolutely insane measures to defend what's theirs. But when their neighbors call them crazy, sometimes a healthy dose of overkill and little karma can leave
the haters eating their words! Wanna find out how this intriguing
structure helped one guy get the last laugh? Just stick around. (computer zapping) Dam Good As record breaking storms began to sweep across Texas in May 2016, locals in Brazoria County
anxiously began hoarding sandbags and dusting off their rubber boots. Weather reports had
informed them that Texas was in the midst of a week-long
siege of thunderstorms and heavy rain, some of the
worst the state had ever seen. But what was more alarming was that the storms were
heading in their direction! In Brenham County, less than
100 miles away from them, over 19 inches of rain had fallen in less than 24 hours, and the storms weren't showing
any signs of letting up. Terrifying reports kept
rolling in of roads being washed away, people being killed, and entire neighbor hoods
left underwater as rivers and lakes burst their banks. Prepared for the worst, Brazoria residents
gathered what they could and reluctantly began to evacuate, all except for Randy Wagner. Overwhelmingly concerned for
his family, and his property, Randy decided that he was going to do everything in his power to stop the floods from destroying his home. In a desperate attempt to
save everything he loved; he trawled the internet for
some kind of miracle solution and stumbled across a
website called "AquaDam". They sold gigantic, watertight
tubes that could be filled with water to create a temporary barrier. The weight and mass of these
glorified water balloons was enough to form a
highly efficient barricade against oncoming floods! And, to add the cherry on top, they eliminated the hassle of cumbersome, dirt-filled alternatives like sandbags. To Randy, the whole thing
sounded a little too good to be true. After all, he'd never heard of anyone else using one of these before! But he decided to take
the ultimate gamble, and bought a 30-inch tall, 450 ft Aqua Dam for a wallet-busting $8,300. He then made the treacherous
520-mile round trip to Louisiana to pick up
the near 800 lb package. All the while, he was praying that he would
make it back to Brazoria before the storms started
hammering down on his home. Just 3 days later, water
began to flood the land around Randy's property. Without a moment to
lose, Randy and 2 others began rolling out the
tremendous amount of tubing, positioning it protectively
around the family home. Then, using two gasoline pumps and water from a nearby ditch, they began to inflate the two inner tubes of the rubber-ring-like barrier. In just half a day, the protective project was ready to be put to the ultimate test, but not without catching the
eyes of his nosey neighbors. As people walked by his
home and saw Randy toiling with the creative contraption, they laughed at him and called him crazy. They all clearly thought
that there was no way such a ridiculously simple
plan would ever work in the face of this
record-breaking rainfall! Despite the derision from those onlookers, Randy refused to be deterred, and after placing every ounce of his faith in his gamble-of-a-dam, he and his family waited for the storm. By June, Brazoria County's river, the Brazos, slowly began
the relentless climb out of its banks and flooded
the nearby, populated areas. The scale of the floods got so bad that a presidential disaster
declaration was issued, and thousands of people were
forced to evacuate their homes, leaving everything they had behind. But as news helicopters broadcast images of the damaged properties
and waterlogged houses, one family's home was smugly high and dry. Like a little green island floating in the muddy waters of chaos, Randy Wagner's crazy plan
to save his home had worked! He and his family had
watched as the waters rose to a threatening 27-inches, but it just wasn't enough
to breach the 30-inch dam. He estimates that this
$8,300, inflatable investment saved him nearly $150,000 in repairs, and he didn't even have to
engage his flood insurance! That sounds like one hell of a saving. His neighbors, on the other hand, really paid the price after
the floods wreaked havoc on more than 1,500 homes, costing upwards of $3.8
million in flood damage. Seems like Randy's neighbors
couldn't even afford to laugh at him anymore! And speaking of laughs, I know a place where you can
get plenty for free right here! Plus, a whole host of stunning
stories and fantastic facts. All you have to do is go
ahead and hit those like and subscribe buttons. I put out new content every day, and I promise it won't cost you a dollar! Now, let's dive back into
more construction karma. Victorious Vicksburg What lengths or heights would you go to, to try and save your home from a flood? Well, the residents of
Vicksburg, Mississippi, showed just how much they
valued their properties by undertaking colossal
construction projects to protect their homes back in 2011. You see, these houses were
situated along the Yazoo river, a tributary of the mighty Mississippi which is a river more famous for flooding than Mississippi is for mud pie. And heavy rainfall hundreds
of kilometres upstream provided an ominous sign that this river could
soon burst its banks. Usually, the main levees
lining these waterways would be enough to hold
back the rising tides. But worrying reports
started filtering through, indicating the rising river could easily breach their thresholds. At this news, residents with homes on
low-lying deltas of farmland decided not to take any chances, and began building
humungous, private levees. Using tons of earth and sand, they drove up donut-shaped
barricades to prevent the water from reaching their homes, cutting themselves off
from roads if they had to. But other residents laughed at
their precautious neighbors, safe in the knowledge that most of Vicksburg lay
on a 100-year flood area. That meant there was only a 1% chance of the area flooding each year! Thinking they were safe
from the threat of the wet, many confidently pointed out that they'd never even needed
flood insurance before! But no amount of ridicule could stop those with homes and livelihoods on the delta from preparing for the worst. Then, in a completely unforeseen event, both the Mississippi and
Yazoo rivers burst their banks with record shattering crests! The Mississippi at Vicksburg point reached a staggering 57.1 ft, forcing the Yazoo to top its
banks where the two rivers met. This meant towns and farms
upstream of the Yazoo quickly started to flood. And with the speed of the water flowing at a rate of almost 17
million gallons a second, low lying areas suddenly
found themselves submerged in murky water. While some residents
panicked and evacuated, owners of homes in the
deltas were sitting pretty. Like islands in the stream, many of the houses had emerged from the floods almost untouched! Most of them were dry as a bone, but some unlucky others had underestimated just how high the waters would reach. Some even miscalculated just how strong their
barricades needed to be! Nevertheless, most of them were able to keep their heads held high, while their judgy neighbors couldn't keep theirs above water! The Eye of the Storm. On one row of magnificent-looking mansions along the South Carolina coast, there lies an unusual house that sticks out like an
embarrassingly sore thumb. This deviant looking dome is
called 'The Eye of the Storm', and while its exterior may
have neighbors pointing and laughing at it, they'll regret that choice
come hurricane season. You see, this south-eastern stretch of the United States coast
is particularly prone to hurricane weather. And on this very site, back in 1989, designer George Paul's parents
lost their prized summer home to the horrendous Hurricane Hugo. It had whipped up winds of 120 mph and tore their beach-front
abode to shreds. Determined that they'd
never have to experience such a heart-breaking event ever again, George set about designing
a hurricane-proof home his parents could be proud of. The process involved using a giant, inflatable device called an Airform, which was blown up to a height of 37 ft. The inside was then sprayed with concrete and lined with steel, producing a perfectly
durable dome in its stead. Because the roof and walls
all form one solid piece, there's almost nothing
that hurricane force winds can tear away during a storm! And that's not all. It also boasts eight huge
openings at its ground level, so that storm winds and
water can surge through without damaging the top levels. While some neighbors may
have been quick to judge the bizarrely bulbous shape, George's design has stood its ground against every hurricane
thrown at it so far! Including 2018's Hurricane Florence, whose 100 mph winds
and sadistic sea levels hit approximately 51,000 homes and caused around $5 billion in damages. As you can guess, the Eye of the Storm didn't
feature in those numbers! What's that old phrase, "never judge a house by its
unsightly bulbous design"? Ah, I can never quite remember. The House Fit for A King When Hurricane Michael, one of the worst cyclones
ever to hit Florida, barrelled through Mexico beach in 2018, it levelled every house in its path. Well, almost every house. Although the winds coming off the water were a mighty 155mph, they still weren't enough to bring down this strange looking home
perched on the beachfront. That's because, unlike the others, this stilted home had been specially made by Dr Lebron Lackey and his uncle, Russell King, to face off
against this billowing beast from the east! At the time of its construction, Lackey and King were ridiculed for not following Florida's
strict building codes, which were needed for
improved hurricane resistance. While they were considered to
be the highest mandatory codes in the nation, King didn't
think they were high enough. Instead of leaving it to chance, the pair designed every
single element of the home to withstand the largest
hurricane imaginable. From the 40 ft concrete pilings
keeping it anchored down, to the 1-foot-thick concrete walls, it's just as unbreachable as it looks! King even added upwards
of 3000 hurricane clips to keep the roof attached to the walls, helping it withstand winds up to 250 mph. But despite all these extra precautions, it wasn't enough for the house to come away completely unscathed. While the roof and walls remained intact, the strong tidal surges had cracked those colossal concrete pillars and ripped out a section of the stairs. But when you compare those
damages to his neighbors' whose houses were reduced to rubble it's safe to say that it could have been a whole lot worse! Ultimately, he was the last
man and house left standing. How Now Cow House? Back in 2010, Spanish architecture
firm Ensemble was trying to find new ways to push
the engineering envelope, when one of their designers came up with an udderly new concept. At risk of becoming the
laughingstock of the design world, Ensemble decided to create an
experimental home using cows! Or, more specifically, a
young calf called Paulina and she wasn't even the strangest
part about this project! To start, Ensemble
excavated a piece of land on the stunning Costa da Morte, before bafflingly filling
the hole with straw bales. They then covered it all
with concrete and soil, and once it was all oddly concealed, they left the mound to cure. Not for days, or for weeks,
but for several years, which turned it into a manmade boulder! Eventually, they were satisfied with the development of their
strange, stone fabrication and cracked it open, revealing over 1,700 cubic
feet of crazily compacted hay. Instead of throwing it out
like any normal architect or indeed, person they brought in Paulina! For a whole year, the
calf munched away happily on the interior of the truffle house. She licked the walls
clean of their hay tufts, before walking away a fat and very happy 661 lbs cow! But along with all the
poop she had produced, she also left behind an
environmentally friendly and usable space, which Ensemble transformed
into a small slice of design heaven! With its amazing views
and earthen-feel interior, it became a perfect example of how nature could be used to create
unique and interesting spaces. Although, I'm not quite sure
how practical that shower and toilet arrangement would be considering they're so close to the bed! And I don't think I
could stomach living here knowing it used to be full
of cow poop, could you? Let me know down in the comments! Raising The Game. When a new housing project began digging foundations
on the riverbanks of the famously flooding
Dhaka City, Bangladesh, back in 2010, onlookers assumed the
designer was a top-tier idiot. After all, why would you build
on land that was guaranteed to flood almost every single year? Initially, it seemed like a
total waste of brick and mortar. But what they didn't
know was that this house was being built specifically
for the inevitable floods and it was about to change the
architectural game forever. Labelled 'The Lift House', this prototype property incorporated two strange looking bamboo
structures into its design. They were inserted into a
hollow, ferro-cement base, and portions of each
bamboo frame were filled with over 8000 used and
empty plastic bottles. These finished components were
then experimentally attached to the building's red brick core. But instead of rushing
to build flood defences, its builders then sat back and just waited for the
rivers to burst their banks. It sounds crazy, but this is because during
periods of heavy flooding, those watertight foundations act like lightweight concrete boats. These lift the two
lightweight bamboo frames up above the rising waters, while remaining attached
to the red brick spine. This means the families that
live in them are kept high and dry up to a height of 12 ft, without any fear of
floating off down the river! Then, when the waters eventually recede, the structures settle back
down on the soggy ground. As amazing as this amphibious design from Prithula Prosun looks, I've not revealed the
best part about it yet! Because "Lift" in the "Lift Project" stands for "low-income
flood-proof technology". So, by using relatively
cheap materials along with a basic design, this million-dollar idea
doesn't cost the earth to build! As a result, it has the potential to benefit the poorest
sections of the population, who are most affected by flood damage. Finally, a design that can
help keep the 99% afloat. Foiled Fire. Every year, it seems
like California reports a new wave of unrelenting wildfires scorching their way across the state. Wreaking an estimated $85
billion of damage in 2017, and $400 billion in 2018, you might wonder why people
choose to live there at all! I mean, what structures
could possibly survive that much fire damage? Well, back in 2014, Sierra National's Fire Service
made a desperate attempt to save 5 historic cabins
by sacrificing their dignity and dressing them up like baked potatoes! In a last-ditch attempt to save them from the flames of the French Fire, US Forest Service Archaeologists ordered gigantic fire-protective wraps from a company called Firezat. But when they arrived, officials quickly realised that
they looked like huge rolls of tin foil! As futile as it seemed
in the wake of a fire that had effortlessly burned through 13,700 acres of forest, they covered the cabins
roof-to-base in the shiny sheets. While they weren't fireproof, they would supposedly prevent embers and radiant heat from damaging the cabins. Despite looking like shining
beacons of stubbornness, the smoke eventually cleared to reveal that the cabins had survived! Unbelievably, their success story inspired other fire management services
to use Firezat shields on their own historic cabins. Just like Crater Lake
firefighters did in 2017, and Yosemite services in 2018! But their influence didn't
stop at the forest boarders. Homeowners in more rural, seasonal fire hotspots
like Florida, Arizona, and California have started
buying up fire shields as well! Although I can't imagine the
local homeowners associations are happy about their
metallic mushroom appearance, take it up with the fire, Karen! However, fire shields
come at a greater cost than annoying your neighbors, because just one of these 50 lb rolls, which can cover about 1,200 square feet, costs a huge $744! But considering how
much that could save you in the long run, I guess that price really
does take the ash out of cash. Safe Space. When you're buying a new house, what's the most important feature? Is it the number of bedrooms, a location, the size? Most people laughed
when the Phillips family from Mississippi said a safe room was what sold them on their new home back in March 2020! While the small space was only big enough to double up as a closet
for the family of four, it provided them with some
well needed peace of mind. You see, their new home
sat right in the centre of America's tornado alley! Considering that the state of Mississippi was no stranger to EF4 and EF5 tornados that could reach nearly 200
mph in wind speed alone, the Phillips' didn't
want to take any chances. But while some people
thought their priorities were a little backwards, they'd eventually
realise just how sensible their decision really was. Because just a few weeks
after they moved in, a devastating series of
storms tore their way across the South. Around 80 tornados
swept across the states, levelling houses, and
leaving a trail of carnage in their wake! As the terrifying tornados began to batter the Phillips' home, the parents grabbed
their two young children and rushed into the safe room
with only seconds to spare! In a matter of moments, their entire house was
obliterated by the storm, leaving absolutely nothing
behind except the safe room. After the storm subsided, the family emerged without
a single scratch on them, but their house looked
like it had been ripped up from the foundations! While it's clear that the family was saved by taking extra precautions, Andrew Philips believes that it was Jesus who protected them during the storm. Maybe that's true, but I also think the
concrete closet played a significant part in
their miracle salvation! A Hole Lot of Judgement When Wayne Martin began
digging a gigantic hole in his yard back in the
2000's, many of his friends and family thought he'd completely lost the plot get it, plot? At around 8 ft deep and almost 24 ft long, the dimensions didn't make sense for an in-ground swimming pool, especially after he lined the bottom with 6 inches of peat and gravel! So, what was this mad man digging for? Was he searching for buried treasure? Or trying to get to China? Maybe he was trying to hide a new car that he hadn't told his wife he'd bought? In an even weirder twist of events, Wayne purchased an old shipping container and made some modifications to it. After sealing up the double doors and installing a regular
door on the opposite end, he hired a company to
lower the container down into his perfectly prepared hole. Then he set about building a set of subterranean stairs
leading down to this entrance and installed a pump to prevent water collecting
around the bottom. Have you figured out what he was building, or are you still in the dark? If so, allow me to shed a
little light on the rest of this bizarre build. Wayne then proceeded to
lay a series of heavy steel beams across the top of the container and levelled the entire top surface out with corrugated sheet metal. As you can see, it was stable enough to support his wife
thank god something was. After installing a series of
air vents and steel gridding, he poured six inches of concrete over the top to seal the hole up for good! And after covering the
top with dirt and soil, the only visible part of
the build was the opening for the stairs leading
down to the container. Finally, it was time to
reveal Wayne's big plans for this hidden compartment. Was it going to be a secret lair? Or maybe a doomsday bunker? Ingeniously, Wayne turned
the space into a wine cellar! The cool, underground
temperatures and low humidity of the space meant it
was perfect for storing that enviable wine selection. On top of that, the space also doubles up as a storm shelter! So, when the weather takes a turn, I think we all know which
door Wayne's neighbors will be knocking on. Which of these homeowners do you think got the biggest karma-comeback in then end? And do you have any
stories of nosey neighbors getting what they deserved? Let me know in the comments
below, and thanks for watching!
