How to Handle Prefabricated Houses in Typhoons

Generally, it is not advisable to live in prefabricated houses during typhoons. Appropriate measures should be taken based on the specific condition of the house to ensure the safety of occupants.

Firstly, it is crucial to assess the safety of the house in advance. Prefabricated panel houses often lack national, local, or industry standards and have relatively simple structures. During transportation, installation, and disassembly, the structural integrity of the house can be easily compromised, resulting in structural stability and wind-load resistance that often fail to meet usage requirements, making it difficult to withstand storms, typhoons, and tornadoes. Therefore, before a typhoon arrives, a comprehensive safety assessment of the prefabricated house must be conducted to determine whether it can withstand the typhoon. During the assessment, key issues such as the stability of the house's foundation, the presence of cracks in the walls, and the looseness of connection points should be focused on.

Secondly, if the house has safety hazards, reinforcement measures should be taken promptly. Reinforcement measures can include adding support structures, securing walls, and strengthening connection points to improve the overall structural stability and wind-load resistance of the house. For example, diagonal braces can be added around the house to enhance its wind resistance; walls can be reinforced to prevent collapse during a typhoon; and the connections between house components should be ensured to be firm and reliable to avoid structural instability caused by loose connections.

Finally, timely evacuation is key to ensuring life safety. Before a typhoon arrives, if the assessment concludes that the house cannot guarantee the safety of occupants or if reinforcement measures cannot be effectively implemented within a short period, timely evacuation to a safe location should be carried out. During evacuation, necessary emergency items such as food, water, and medications should be carried, and the evacuation route should be ensured to be safe and reliable. Meanwhile, according to Article 9 of the 'Regulations on the Administration of Urban Dangerous Houses (Revised in 2004)', for houses with safety hazards, measures such as observation use, treatment use, cessation of use, or complete demolition should be taken promptly to ensure the safety of the house during the typhoon.