New building material used to make hurricane-resilient homes in Florida

Central Florida is booming with new construction of structures made mostly of wood frame or concrete block. But there is a new player in the market that is using a material you wouldn’t expect and rated to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. This new building material is made up of large panels, that have the look and feel of Styrofoam, called polystyrene. These panels are equipped with double galvanized steel mesh on the outside and then finished with 2 inches of concrete on either side. For Annette Rubin, the CEO and co-founder of Vero Building Systems, bringing this innovative technology to Florida all started during Hurricane Michael.