Modular Home Survives Hurricane Michael

Hoping for a peaceful retirement, Darla and Terry Wise moved to Mexico Beach, FL. However, a Category 4 hurricane tore through their area shortly after, but their Clayton Built® home was still standing!

Moving to Florida to enjoy their retirement was the clear next step for former subsea engineer Terry Wise and his wife Darla. They initially bought a two-story site-built home in Mexico Beach for them to live in with Darla’s mother, but soon they realized the home wasn’t serving their needs well. Darla’s mother had a hard time maneuvering the steps in the home, so they decided to purchase a new home.

Darla was convinced from the beginning that they should purchase a modular home and aimed to sway Terry as well. The appeal of being able to move in quickly proved to be a strong selling point for the couple.

The couple visited Clayton Homes of Panama City to begin their home search. After viewing a few models, the couple decided to take things a step further and visit the home building facility in Addison, AL to get further reassurance on the quality of Clayton Built® modular homes.

"Seeing the way it's manufactured, seeing the engineering designs, seeing how everything is actually put together, knowing that it's everything you would do yourself and more," said Terry.

The couple moved forward with purchasing their home from Clayton, and settled into the new space. However, a storm was brewing, literally. During October of 2018, a category 4 hurricane started heading towards the Florida panhandle. The Wise family evacuated on October 9, with Hurricane Michael hitting land the very next day. Two days later, they traveled back to see the state of their home.

The home was standing strong in one piece, with only a few minor scrapes such as missing shingles and siding damage. Because our homes are built to state and local codes specific to your location, we can make sure they are built to withstand the storms they will endure.