Here's a question for homeowners about to rebuild along the hurricane-shattered Gulf Coast. Why rebuild with standard materials at risk to get swept away when the next storm blows through with a vengeance?

A superior storm-hardy solution might be insulating concrete forms. These reinforced concrete walls can give homeowners a fighting chance when hurricanes muscle a path through Southern states.

Essentially, home builders create walls of concrete sandwiched between two thick panels of polystyrene foam. Holes are cut to accommodate windows and doors. Reinforcing steel is added and the 4-to-10-inch -- or more -- space between the foam panels is then filled with concrete.

John Allen of Southern Construction and Design in Madison, Ala., says the hardened concrete technology is a better option than wooden reconstruction.

"Homeowners need to look at different building technologies that will save lives and offer personal protection," he says.

Allen says insurance companies might also be attracted to this housing approach. "Are you going to fund rebuilding of homes with standard materials that will be hit again?," says Allen.

Some ICF manufacturers say the structures can be built to withstand any "hurricane storm standard." For example, the Florida building code requires such homes with concrete walls to handle wind loads of 130 miles per hour.

According to Allen, homes with "cast in place" walls cost about 5 percent more to erect than a stick-built home. However, the thicker the walls, the greater the cost differential. Manufacturers say the polystyrene forms can be cut and maneuvered to fit virtually any architectural design or floor plan.