Mar-a-Lago will survive Hurricane Milton: Here's how Palm Beach mansion has withstood many storms
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, reports indicate that former president Donald Trump's residence, Mar-a-Lago, is fortified to withstand the storm.
Located in Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago features three-foot-thick reinforced concrete walls and steel anchors that secure the structure to the coral reef below, ensuring stability against extreme weather conditions.
As Hurricane Milton moves toward Florida's west coast, Trump Media, the company behind Truth Social, is based in Sarasota, which is directly in the hurricane's projected path. The hurricane's potential impact on both locations has highlighted their preparedness and safety protocols, per the New York Post.
Truth Social's Sarasota headquarters may face risks as Hurricane Milton intensifies
Hurricane Milton, now a Category 5 storm, is projected to make landfall in Florida. The Sarasota headquarters of Truth Social may be vulnerable to the hurricane's destructive winds and storm surge.
The specific impacts will depend on the storm's final trajectory and intensity upon making landfall.
Mar-a-Lago's resilient design may aid in withstanding storm effects
While the resort may experience tropical storm-level winds and is currently under a tornado watch, the National Hurricane Center's latest forecast indicates that Milton is likely to move through western Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean.
Mar-a-Lago is situated on the east coast of the Sunshine State, which is opposite the expected landfall location of the storm early on Thursday, October 9.
The building has withstood every hurricane that has devastated South Florida's coast since 1928, with Trump's long-serving butler once stating there is nowhere else he would prefer to be during such a disaster.
“This place will not move,” the late Tony Senecal, who was Trump's butler for many years, was quoted by the Palm Beach Post. “That’s why, during a hurricane, you’ll always see me here. If it goes, I’ll go with it.”
Mar-a-Lago's resilient architecture has enabled it to withstand previous hurricanes
Mar-a-Lago has weathered numerous hurricanes, with damage typically remaining minor. Fortunately, only a few trees were toppled, and the notable Roman-style window sustained some dents.
In recent years, the historic club experienced relatively minor damage, including a roof that was damaged by Hurricane Irma in September 2017.
“We lost a lot of the vegetation that gave Mar-a-Lago its character,” after Hurricane Frances in 2004, Trump told The Palm Beach Post. “I wasn’t there for the storm, but I’ve been told by my people there that it re-landscaped the place. There was a little flooding in some of the basements, too.”
Tamara Peacock, a Fort Lauderdale-based architect who restored the original windows of Mar-a-Lago in the 1990s, stated that the structure is well-prepared to endure the storm.
“I’ve seen quite a number of historic houses during my career,” Peacock said in 2016. “It’s the most well-built.”
Trump and his family are not expected to be in the Palm Beach area when the storm arrives early Thursday, as reported by the Palm Beach Post.
Hurricane Milton struck near Siesta Key, Florida, as a perilous Category 3 storm and was downgraded to a Category 2 upon landfall, reports the National Hurricane Center. This marks the fifth hurricane to hit the US coast this year, CNN reports.
