Hurricane Irma tore through the Florida Keys, destroying mobile homes, restaurants, and historical buildings. But newer homes, particularly those made of precast concrete and propped up on stilts, survived the storm.
CNBC reports that Monroe County, Fla., has the toughest building codes in the nation, providing resiliency against devastating hurricanes, such as Irma.
Homes in the Keys must be elevated above the flood plain to allow storm surge to pass underneath, and bottom floors can only be used for storage and recreational purposes. Homes also need to be built to withstand 150 mph winds.
"In a general sense, we can say the work that was done in making a better code — and also putting a little bit of fear into contractors and telling them to be more responsible when they build — created a better stock of housing," said Charlie Danger, the former Miami-Dade chief building inspector who led the charge to improve building codes after Andrew.
Advertisement
Related Stories
Resilient Construction
Navigating Flood-Resilience Standards Without Compromising Affordability
NAHB Policy Briefing: Flood-resilience standards; townhouse market share data
Codes + Standards
Public Comment Period Opens for National Green Building Standard Updates
The 45-day public comment period for draft 2 of the 2024 NGBS begins on April 12, 2024
Resilient Construction
US Counties Most Vulnerable to Extreme Winter Weather in 2024
When it comes to extreme winter weather events, Midwestern counties bear the brunt and suffer the greatest associated financial losses