When hurricane winds push against the side of a manufactured home, and the foundation begins to fail, it  may slide off the piers, like the home at the left in the photo below.

    Or, if the wind gets under the home and exposes it to strong uplift forces, making the foundation fail on the windward side, it may flip over. This looks bizarre, but it does happen. 

    If either action creates an opening in the walls or roof, it depressurizes the interior and makes it more likely to begin to break apart. An aluminum carport or porch addition attached to the fascia of the home that tears away in a storm is another way to cause the envelope of the home to fail.

    The standards for manufactured home foundation tie-downs were strengthened in Florida in 1999, and HUD followed in 2009 with their improvements. So Florida mobile homes installed in the last 20 years are definitely more storm-resistant. The new codes require more tie-downs, stabilizer plates next to the achors to keep them from being dragged across the soil, and X-shaped lateral stabilizers.

    To learn more, see our blog posts What year were mobile homes required to become more storm resistant? and How much hurricane wind speed can a mobile home survive? and What are the most common defects in mobile/manufactured home foundation piers? and What are the tie-down requirements for a mobile home?

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Here’s links to a collection of our blog posts about MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES:

• Where can I file a complaint if I have problems with my new or used manufactured/mobile home in Florida?

• What are the most common defects in mobile/manufactured home foundation piers?

• How do I determine the age of a very old mobile home?

• What is a foundation certification inspection for a mobile/manufactured home?

• What is a "HUD label verification letter" for a mobile/manufactured home?  

• When did a ground cover vapor barrier (plastic sheet) become required under a mobile/manufactured home? 

• Is it safe to go under a mobile home? 

• Are older mobile homes unsafe? 

• What do I need to know about buying a foreclosed mobile home? 

• Does it make sense to buy an older mobile home and remodel it? 

• Where do I find the vehicle identification number (VIN) on a mobile home? 

• How do I find out how old a mobile home is and who manufactured it?

• What is the right price for a used mobile home?

• How energy efficient is a mobile home?

• When were the first double-wide mobile homes manufactured?

• How do I upgrade my old (pre-1976) mobile home to meet HUD standards?

• What size air conditioner is right for my mobile home? 

• Can you move an older mobile home in Florida? 

• What does the HUD tag look like and where do I find it on a mobile home? 

• Can you put a zone 1 mobile home in Florida?

• How can I remove water under my mobile home?

• What's the differences between a trailer, a mobile home, a manufactured home, and a modular home? 

• What is a D-sticker mobile home? 

• How fireproof is a mobile home?  

• Can I install a mobile home myself?

• What is a Park Model mobile home?  

• Does an addition to a mobile home have to comply with the HUD Code? 

• What walls can I remove in a mobile home?

• What can I do to prevent dampness and mold in my mobile home? 

• How can I tell if a mobile home is well constructed?

• How can I tell the difference between a manufactured home and a modular home?

       Visit our MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES  page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.