The 21st Century Ark

Housing startup Arkup has created "livable yachts," that can withstand Category 4 hurricanes and rising sea levels. The homes float on the water and have hydraulics to lift the structure 40 feet above the ocean floor.

Designs for these zero emissions, solar-powered "hurricane-proof" homes were showcased for the first time in 2017. Arkup then partnered with Miami's oldest yacht charter company, The Advantaged Yacht Charters & Sales, to make the homes available on the market to rent or buy. As of August 2018, Business Insider reports, the yacht charter company is accepting reservations. Each home is 4,350 square feet, comes with four and a half bathrooms and four bedrooms, and ranges in price from two to three million dollars. 

As Hurricane Florence makes it way across the Carolinas, millions of coastal residents have reason to be concerned about the structural integrity of their homes. Already, nearly 300,000 homes and businesses have lost power, and officials are reporting damage to property in Onslow County, North Carolina. When Hurricane Harvey swept Texas last September, it damaged more than 204,000 homes and apartment buildings. Around the same time, Hurricane Irma destroyed a quarter of the homes in the Florida Keys, according to federal officials.

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