I’m amazed at many feats of engineering, particularly large bridges. I’ll never forget the first time I saw the Skyway bridge that stretches across Tampa Bay. This massive structure is held together by large columns of support beams and support wire, all built on top of huge concrete pylons that go deep underground at the bottom of the bay. Just thinking about the bridge is enough to give me vertigo, let alone having to drive over it while I’m the one behind the wheel. Amazingly enough, this bridge has taken the abuse of several hurricanes already in the years since it was erected. Everything built to go outside in the gulf coast area has to withstand the threat of hurricanes, both against rain, wind, and storm surge. The HVAC condensers are particularly resilient. They sit outside peoples’ houses and are bolted down to large concrete blocks. I have seen all sorts of damage from extreme hurricanes, but I have never seen an HVAC condenser uprooted from its concrete foundation.
There is a higher chance of a tree falling down and smashing it from an impact than the remote possibility of direct wind damage. Those metal enclosures are extremely strong, regardless of your climate or weather conditions. I would definitely be more worried about something happening to my actual house during a severe storm instead of my heating and cooling condenser. Even so, there is always the remote chance that something could happen in hurricane force winds. This is why the condenser is bolted to a large and heavy concrete slab instead of simply using posts driven into the ground.