Stylish and strong Prefab houses, which tend to involve a faster and more efficient construction process, offer a promising alternative to traditional stick-built homes. When we highlighted some of the coolest and most affordable prefab dwellings available for purchase, quite a few readers inquired about particularly sturdy options that would be suitable for hurricane-prone regions. Well, the homes in this roundup range in aesthetic style, but they've all been designed to withstand strong winds and, in a few cases, Category 5 hurricanes.

Name: Zen 560, a prefab bamboo home by Bamboo Living (gallery above is of a larger model)
Size: 560 square feet (1 bedroom, 1 bath, plus a 160-square-foot porch)?additional Bamboo Living models available range from a 100-square-foot single-room dwelling to a 2,745-square-foot four-bedroom residence Cost: $36,400 to $54,800 (package only; does not include site work, shipping, finish construction, and other associated fees)
Stormproof cred: Surpasses international hurricane code requirements, including those of Florida's Miami-Dade County; Bamboo Living homes have survived 173 mph winds (Category 5 hurricane) with cosmetic damage only

Name: 99-2b, a transportable modular home by Cubicco
Size: 1,025 square feet (2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, optional covered porch)
Cost: starting at $160,300 assembled
Stormproof cred: Designed to meet the 180 mph (Category 5 hurricane) High Velocity Hurricane Zone Florida Building Code

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