Florida man’s DIY strapped down house makes it through Hurricane Milton unscathed

A Florida man’s efforts to batten down the shutters and prevent his home from being damaged by Hurricane Milton that hit the state earlier this week appear to be paying off.

In a photo that went viral, Orlando homeowner Pedro Casares had the wild idea to tie up his family home in an attempt to prevent major damage when the Category 3 storm hit the area.

Despite the skepticism of those who saw the photo before the storm, Casares’ planning appears to have saved the house from significant damage.

Casares, originally from Puerto Rico, planted metal hooks in the ground, embedded in 8 feet of cement.

After the storm, it seemed like everything had stayed in place, including the roof

Huge plastic ties, the kind normally used to hold cargo containers in place on ships, were then tied to hooks on the ground to prevent the roof from coming loose as the storm ravaged the area.

Casares spent $22,000 for the cement anchors and custom-made straps that clad the roof of the family home, which could reportedly withstand a weight of 5,400 pounds.

The ingenious precautions came after the family endured a hurricane while living in Guaynabo on the Caribbean island, which almost caused the aluminum roof of their home to come loose.

TikTok user SimplyUniqueSmiles93Casares’ daughter, gave viewers a long-awaited walkthrough of the house so followers could see how the house was progressing.

‘The house, luckily we’re doing well. There are a lot of leaves everywhere, but everything is still intact. There are many affected areas near our house,” she explained during a walk.

Casares’ daughter gave viewers a long-awaited walkthrough of the house so followers could see how the house was progressing

According to the TikToker, the house was unharmed and not a single roof tile was missing

The family says the straps will remain on the house until hurricane season ends in December

‘The house is intact. Not a single shingle or tile was lifted from the roof. All is well. We won’t take off the belts until the hurricane is over!’ she added.

Before the storm hit, social media users were fascinated by Casares’ idea.

Most said they were impressed by his efforts, calling him a “legend” and praising him for “thinking outside the box.”

“This is the most Florida thing I’ve ever seen,” one person joked.

“Everyone is laughing now but this man will become a legend when all the other houses are floating along the road and he is sitting in the pool of his new living room watching TV powered by a Starlink terminal,” someone else wrote.

“I actually respect the effort. I hope it is effective,” another user added.

“He thinks outside the box, needs more people like him…” read a fourth tweet.

A fifth said: ‘Bro secured his house like a piano during his move. Absolute legend.’

The straps can withstand a weight of 5,400 kg and are connected to metal hooks that are attached to submerged concrete at a depth of 2.5 meters underground

The family also boarded up the windows to prevent them from blowing in during the high winds

Florida residents plodded through flooded streets, collected scattered debris and assessed damage to their homes after Hurricane Milton tore through coastal communities, unleashing a barrage of deadly tornadoes.

AAt least ten people were dead, and rescuers were still trying to rescue people from swollen rivers, but many were relieved that Milton was not worse.

The hurricane spared densely populated Tampa a direct hit, and the deadly storm surge scientists feared never materialized.

Florida’s vital tourism industry is starting to return to normal as Walt Disney World and other theme parks reopen.

The state’s busiest airport, Orlando, also returned to full operations on Friday.