Nepal’s ‘Miracle House’: How One Home Survived A Devastating Flood

A house standing while an entire neighbourhood around it is swept away by floods has become known as Nepal’s “Miracle House.” The structure reportedly survived because of a combination of reinforced concrete construction, its position and possibly luck. A reinforced concrete frame uses concrete columns and beams strengthened with steel reinforcement, helping a building handle compression, tension and bending. This can be especially important when fast-moving floodwater and debris create strong sideways forces. The house also appears to have been slightly outside the main path of the most destructive debris flow, allowing water and debris to split around it. Together, these factors may explain its remarkable survival.