Florida man turns home into DIY fortress to brave Hurricane Milton and survives

One Florida man's efforts to fortify his home and keep Hurricane Milton from damaging it during its raging passage across the state earlier this week seem to have paid off.

As the category 3 storm pounded the area, Orlando homeowner Pedro Casares came up with the crazy notion to strap down his family house in an image that went viral in an effort to stop significant damage. Those who saw the photo before the storm expressed doubt, but Casares' forethought appears to have prevented the house from suffering any serious damage .

Casares, who is originally from Puerto Rico, buried metal hooks in the earth that were implanted in eight feet of cement.

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Then, to prevent the roof from lifting off as the storm pounded the area, large plastic straps—the same type typically used to secure cargo containers on ships—were attached to the hooks on the ground. The cement anchors and specially designed straps that Casares paid $22,000 for were placed around the family home's roof and are reportedly capable of supporting 5,400 pounds of weight.

The family's home's aluminum roof nearly lifted off during a hurricane that hit Guaynabo, a Caribbean island, prompting the ingenious preparations. To let fans know how the house had fared, Casares' daughter, SimplyUniqueSmiles93, a TikTok user, offered viewers a much-anticipated tour of the house.

"The house, thankfully we’re good. There’s just a lot of leaves everywhere but everything is still intact. There’s a lot of affected areas near our home," she explained during a walkabout. "The home is intact. Not a single shingle nor tile has lifted from the roof. Everything is good. We’re not taking the straps off until hurricane is over!" she added.

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Social media users became obsessed with Casares' concept before to the storm. The majority praised him for "thinking outside the box" and called him a "legend," saying they were impressed by his efforts. "This is the most Florida thing I've ever seen," one person quipped.

"Everyone is laughing now, but this man will be a legend when all the other houses are floating down the road and he's sitting in his new living room swimming pool watching TV powered by a Starlink terminal," wrote another person.

"I truly appreciate the effort. I hope it works," said another user. "He thinks outside the box, and we need more people like him." Read the fourth tweet. A fifth stated, "Bro secured his house like a piano when moving." Absolute legend.

After Hurricane Milton smashed over coastal cities and unleashed a volley of fatal tornadoes, Florida residents slogged through flooded streets, gathered scattered debris, and evaluated the damage to their houses.