Few homes in Mexico Beach, Fla. survived Hurricane Michael, but one did, and in great style. Sand Palace, located near Mexico Beach Pier, came out of the storm relatively intact.
Built in 2017, Sand Palace stands as a great example of storm-resistant construction, exceeding the state's building code, and made to withstand 250 mile-per-hour winds, according to Business Insider. The homeowners, Russell King and Lebron Lackey, used steel cables and 40-foot pillars on the home to make sure it could endure high winds and flooding, and was made with poured concrete, a building material commonly used in South Florida where the risk for hurricane damage is higher. Sand Palace also has breakaway walls, designed to break away if a hurricane hits, without bringing down the entire structure.
As the storm wreaked havoc along the Gulf Coast, the National Ocean Service began releasing satellite images of the damaged coastal communities. The photos show few surviving structures, other than the occasional scattered property that managed to hold onto its foundation. But to the right of the Mexico Beach Pier, one house remains relatively unscathed, while everything around it appears to be flattened.
