FEMA to Show Off Storm-resistant House in N.C.

The federal agency charged with helping recovery efforts in the wake of disasters wants to show North Carolinians how to make houses better able to withstand damage from major storms.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will show off what it calls the “DAWG HAUS” starting Thursday at the Sweet Potato Festival in Snow Hill, an annual event expected to draw 25,000 people over three days.

FEMA workers built the wooden house as a model to show the benefits of storm-resistant construction methods. The house demonstrates how connectors, straps and ties at key joints can shift the pressure of high winds from the roof to the sturdier foundation.

The house’s nickname stands for “Disaster Avoidance With Good Home Attenuating Unionization System.”