the buzz log

Hurricane Ike flattened just about everything in its path. Well, almost everything. Pictures of a lone home that managed to survive the storm's fury are causing a ruckus in the Buzz.

Gilchrist, Texas was right in the storm's path. A large section of the town was completely leveled except for the bright yellow home owned by Warren and Pam Adams. Theirs is (literally) the only house left standing. Striking photos of the surviving structure sent shock waves through the Buzz and had some wondering if they were real or Photoshopped. It wasn't until relatives stepped forward that the fakery rumors ceased.

So how did this one house manage to survive Ike while neighboring homes didn't? According to CNN, Mr. and Mrs. Adams did their best to make their house hurricane-proof after their previous house was flattened by Hurricane Rita in 2005. They hired an engineering firm to oversee the construction of the new house and built it several feet higher than sea level. Sadly, despite their efforts, water still managed to flood the inside of the home, making it all but uninhabitable.

Fortunately, the Adams have insurance. And if there is a bright side, it's that we now know it's possible to build a house that can survive a furious storm. As one witness remarked, "If I were to ever build a house on the coast, I'm going to contact the guy who built this."