When a natural disaster like Hurricane Florence strikes, companies try to do their part to help those in need. Airbnb offered evacuees free accommodations and U-Haul announced a free self-storage deal, but a Miami-based startup called ARKUP has come up with an idea that might keep residents from having to leave their homes altogether.
According to Business Insider, ARKUP has created "livable yachts," which are essentially floating houses that claim to withstand Category 4 hurricanes, rising sea levels, and other torrential weather due to its hydraulics' ability to lift the mobile homes 40 feet above the ocean floor.
A company press release shows that ARKUP first revealed the designs by water architect Koen Olthuis at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in 2017. "Being one answer to face floods and sea level rise, they are also a key solution to urban growth and space scarcity," the statement reads.
A YouTube video for ARKUP's "livable yachts" show each unit comes with electric solar panels on the roof, a system that collects, stores, and purifies rainwater, panoramic 360-degree views, and all the comforts of a real-life home. Plus, the yachts reportedly work just as well as any other boats that is out on the ocean.
In August, NBC reported that the 4,350-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath house yachts, were available for charter and sale. But there will only be a select portion of the population that could actually afford these floating homes because, according to BI, they retail for about $5 million (without the hassle of property taxes, though).
Start saving now, folks.
