With Hurricane Lili and Tropical Storm Isidore fresh on our minds, blamed for more than a dozen deaths and displacing thousands from their homes, some are turning to concrete homes - in part to protect from catastrophic weather.

Claims from the storms could reach $600 million or more, according to the Insurance Information Institute, an educational organization committed to disseminating information about property and casualty insurance. Most of the property damage was to roofs and automobiles, the III says.

Security Building Group, a collaboration of residential builders and concrete contractors whose mission is to build disaster-resistant homes in North Carolina, is building six townhouses on North Carolina's Treasure Coast made entirely of cast-in-place removable-form concrete construction technology.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety, a national nonprofit disaster safety group in Florida, is partnering with SBG in the "Fortified...for safer living" program, launched in Florida in 2000.

All "Fortified" homes must pass inspection to be certified. Generally, these homes feature added protection against wind-borne debris for windows and doors. In addition, a certified inspector will verify that all required products and materials are installed correctly in accordance with manufacturer's specifications or the program requirements.

And for the all-important roof, the homes will feature an engineered roof truss system with an increased 110 mph wind rated covering and a secondary moisture barrier, twice the required underlayment, and a thicker plywood deck sheathing with a stronger holding nail and nailing pattern.

There are even "Reward" homes, recently introduced in the Home Buyer's Guide, which stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and maintain uniform temperatures throughout the house. Plus, the steel-reinforced concrete walls stand up to winds of more than 200 mph with no damage to the walls themselves and are proven to withstand fire for as long as four hours.

The strength and durability of concrete walls formed with insulating concrete forms offer unmatched resistance to the devastation of major storms, say those in the concrete industry. Concrete homes are less likely to suffer major damage from debris than conventionally framed houses.

Laboratory testing at the Wind Engineering Research Center at Texas Tech University compared the impact resistance of residential concrete wall construction to conventionally framed walls. The result?

"The results of the tests were not surprising, but they were dramatic," says Donn Thompson, the Portland Cement Association's residential technology program manager. "Concrete walls meet both the criteria needed to protect occupants in a severe storm - structural integrity and missile shielding ability."

And concrete homes aren't just beneficial for hurricane areas, according to ConcreteHomes.com. In the midst of disasters such as tornadoes and wild fires, homes with concrete walls hold up better.

In addition to being strong and durable, cast-in-place concrete construction is energy-efficient -- they use at least 30 percent less energy than stick-frame homes -- and are low maintenance. Concrete even deters rot, rust, and termites. They also are quiet and don't let in a lot of outdoor contaminants.

Plus, home insurance premiums are lower on cast-in-place concrete homes because of their unique resistance to fire, termites, rot, and ability to withstand impact damage.

Although concrete homes cost a bit more than a wood-framed house - about 3 to 5 percent - association members say you can recover the cost in energy savings.

And you don't have to worry about your home's looks. Long gone is the old-school cinder-block home. Cast-in-place concrete homes offer homeowners the flexibility to choose any exterior and interior style they want, while also offering a solid return on investment.

The Portland Cement Association, a national group of those in the concrete industry, predicts that insulated concrete forms will be the fastest growing method of concrete construction for the single-family residential market in the next two years.

So even if you don't live in a hurricane area, it's clear that you can benefit from cast-in-place concrete homes. After all, who wouldn't want the peace of mind that comes from living behind walls engineered to protect from severe weather and fires while saving energy and money?