Florida lawmakers and code policy officials have questioned the state’s approach to building codes in the wake of Hurricane Michael.
The Category 4 storm, with sustained winds of 155 mph, decimated coastal areas of the Florida Panhandle. Statewide codes have hurricane-resilient provisions, but they vary by region.
New office buildings and homes in Miami-Dade County must be designed to withstand winds around 175 mph. Along the stretch of the Panhandle hit hardest by Michael, though, the design standard varies from 120 mph to 150 mph.
In hard-hit Mexico Beach, some homes constructed under the latest code instituted in 2002 were destroyed. Code requirements have been based on storm history and the likelihood of future hurricanes striking a particular area. The Panhandle had seen few big storms since the 1800s, and Michael is the first known Category 4 hurricane to strike the region. Lawmakers and code officials now say codes may have to be strengthened in the northern part of the state.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Oct 16, 2015
Appellate court enacts nationwide stay on controversial expansion of Clean Water Act
New EPA rule suspended until court cases settled.
Codes and Standards | Oct 9, 2015
New California law means commercial building benchmarking program will be implemented
Multifamily housing to be included, a first for a U.S. state.
Codes and Standards | Oct 2, 2015
New ASHRAE guideline for commissioning existing systems and assemblies
Focuses on optimum facility and system operation.
Codes and Standards | Sep 18, 2015
New RELi standard addresses disaster resilience
Based on LEED model, may help lower insurance rates
Building Materials | Aug 28, 2015
Structural steel buildings specification available for second public review
Next year's specification open for comments until Sept. 21
Energy Efficiency | Aug 28, 2015
North American Passive House Network e-book explains Passivhaus, net-zero techniques
Free guide includes spotlight on individual projects
Windows and Doors | Aug 28, 2015
Newly formed group challenges Florida building code
Window, door companies oppose provisions that raise costs
Codes and Standards | Aug 28, 2015
New Orleans becoming a model for climate resilience only 10 years after Katrina
The city has moved ahead with resilience strategies that may become a model for other communities
Codes and Standards | Aug 21, 2015
Illinois governor vetoes bill that would restrict condo owners’ rights
Bill would have made it harder to sue for building flaws
Codes and Standards | Aug 21, 2015
Post-Katrina roofing codes creating more resilient buildings on Gulf Coast
Ten years after storm, notable progress on stronger roofs, IBHS says