Hell or High Water Arks

With weather conditions presenting what seems like constant concern,
surviving the summer has become as serious an issue as surviving the winter.
Between irregular extreme rainfall, tornados, hurricanes, floods, heatwaves, droughts, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, blizzards, ice storms, cold snaps, power outages, shortages of food and other natural disasters; it just isn't prudent to allow ones self to be caught unprepared anymore.

But with the added repercussions of changing weather from global warming and the inevitable rise of sea levels as a result of this, it just isn't wise for anyone to continue into the maw of disaster without being prepared. Life on our planet is facing the nearly insurmountable challenge of continuing existence under a new set of circumstances heretofor unprecedented in the history of known civilization.

The death toll from floods, hurricanes, cyclones and tornados in the U.S. since 1900 is estimated at a low figure of 35,000.

That does not take into consideration the deaths from earthquakes, volcanos, blizzards, fires, heatwaves, dam bursts, lightening strikes, storm surge, diseases or epidemics.

It goes without saying that there is an obvious need for the conscientious and aware homeowner to protect his family and their lives from known as well as unknown factors of nature. There is an additional concern that without air filtration systems, an unprepared family may be subject to airborn contaminants which may or may not be initiated deliberately , such as flue epidemics, volcanic ash, accidental chemical release or terrorist act.

The need for different survival systems is supported by the various regions of the country, whereby some homeowners are out of earthquake zones but right in the middle of flood plains, while others may not be in the path of a tsunami but be in a known blizzard zone.

Consequently the applications may vary, but in essence, the danger is still the same;

Being cut off from regular services

and needing to survive harsh conditions
for unknown periods of time.

Some things are entirely predictable, and the foolish repetition of ill informed ways continues to lead citizens to death and disaster without intervention or application of wise or practical survival techniques.

This is where " Hell or High Water Arks" steps in.

There is absolutely NO good reason for anyone to lose ANYTHING in a flood. The flood plains and river zones are well known, and continued flooding in these regions is as common as sliced bread.

The fact that FEMA continues to rebuild in the same place with the same techniques is as baffling as a homeowner who goes along with it.

On this basis, the primary application of

" Hell or High Water Arks"

is to put every home onto a barge. The repeated flooding of some locations makes this an obvious move; but why do it in an unproven risk zone?

To guarantee that your home and lifestyle will survive the unknown factors which have yet to occur.

Firstly, every home is subject to fire.

Secondly, rare as it may be, such things as unprecedented hail the size of softballs, tornados, an unprecedented lahar, extreme rainfall, earthquakes and any other number of possible scenarios must be prepared for in ADVANCE.

The typical house is NOT built to any standards which would allow it to survive ANY conditions other than just sitting there peacefully on a sunny day; or maybe a little windblown rain.

Very few homeowners have bullet-proof windows, ( wind blown hail ) tornado proof roofs, or flood proof anything.

With the changing global weather patterns come the unknown systems which can/will bring torrential rains to the driest of regions with very little if any warning.

With rising oceans from melting ice caps every residential area along the coasts and rivers will become subject to unavoidable flooding with NO way to avoid it or survive it.

A volcanic eruption can block out the sun for months and fill the air with toxic and lethal dust and gasses, an earthquake can disrupt road services and food deliveries for extended periods and any extreme rain, snow, or wind can cut off regular services indefinitely.

The nation has already witnessed these events along with unprecedented heatwaves and blizzards with the resultant unnecessary deaths of people who just weren't prepared for anything, and our reliance on outside sources for water and electricity place us in a perpetually vulnerable state; especially when these services are cut off indefinitley by any interference from nature.

People living on hillsides are also vulnerable as shown by the incidence of land slides and rain soaked earth foundations.

There are NO methods in use today which prevent these things from happening over and over again.

Houses are continually being built onto pads at ground level. Or on pier blocks set onto ground, or onto foundation walls poured into the ground. The walls are all attached to the floor joists or sill plates which are attached to the concrete anchor of choice, but the building industry is still using regular housing nails which rust. No provision is made at any time for any incidence of nature, and the flimsy structures are all as vulnerable as match stick boxes. Any shift in the ground by earthquake, ground water, or sinkhole, leaves these residences immediately uninhabitable and condemmed.

NO provision is made in any way shape or form.

Alternately, a home built onto an independent floating barge, can float on water, it can float on earth, it can float on snow melt or lahar, though it won't float on a lava flow unless it's made of a completely fire resistant material such as on the nose cone of the space shuttle. Short of volcanic eruption

" Hell or High Water Arks "

are designed and built to move and survive the irregular forces placed upon them. The concrete shell also provides an encapsulated environment and storage area for vital services, resources and stores apart from the environment around it.

Like a ship which is designed and built to be entrirely self sufficient at sea, the

" Hell or High Water Ark"

is designed and built for all but an ocean going passage.

The concept of surviving in a hostile environment for lenghty periods of time is not new. The seafarers of old have done it for centuries; in specifically designed craft.

The concepts and techniques are not secrets, they are law to the sea going man who intends to survive a harsh and arduous journey.

With this theme in mind, a modern and astute family man can ensure the survival of his family throughout any of the inevitable onsloughts that are coming either from earth or from space in the form of decimating meteor showers or asteroid hit.

The same basic concept of structures built onto floating barges can be applied to barns and garages to the effect that ALL livestock can be saved and ALL relative farm equipment and vehicles can be spared the destructive forces of flood waters.

Taken to it's extreme, the ultimate survival system by,

" Hell or High Water Arks"

would be a totally fireproof, bomb proof, hurricane and tornado proof floating platform which would incorporate all of lifes needs encompassing the entire residence using the most modern materials and disaster preparedness techniques and equipment.

The consideration of the worst case scenario also includes being bullet proof; given that the potential for marauding gangs of armed villains may end up roaming the country looking for resources during desperate survival times. Infra red sensors, area alarms, radar, and onboard weapons would be included for this purpose. Shielded metal plate armor would be installed on lower levels to prevent assault by rocket launcher, mortar or grenade launcher. The floating bunker would be dressed to look like a regular residence, yet be invincible to any but the most extreme armed attack.