House design · Structure and hazards: wind, earthquake, flood and wildfire · design-25

Build a continuous load path for high wind and cyclones

Storm winds lift roofs and push walls. A continuous load path ties roof, walls and foundation together so the forces reach the ground.

How

BASC calls a continuous load path the basis of all high-wind construction. Connectors tie the home from roof to foundation.
Fit hurricane straps or clips at every rafter-to-wall connection.
Roof deck: at least 7/16 inch (about 11 mm) OSB or plywood, fixed with 8d ring-shank nails at most 6 inches apart on panel edges and 12 inches in the field.
Seal the roof deck by one of three methods: a full self-adhering membrane, taped joints under full underlayment, or two layers of underlayment.
Protect openings: impact-rated windows and doors or a qualified protection system, and a braced or impact-rated garage door.
US upgrade path: IBHS FORTIFIED Roof first, then Silver (overhangs and openings), then Gold (the whole load path).
Australia example: tie-downs form a chain of strength from the roof cladding to the ground. AS 1684.3 covers wind classes up to C3; above that needs engineering.
Tie roof tanks, PV racking and heavy roof loads into the structure (design-13). For tornado risk add an engineered safe room (secure-1 to secure-4).

Safety: Do not work on roofs in high wind; use fall protection.