Florida Building Codes Are They Strong Enough
In the state of Florida, all newly constructed homes must meet certain hurricane safety standards. Florida’s building codes underwent a major overhaul after Hurricane Andrew devastated Dade County in 1992. Current building codes in Dade County require that all homes be built to withstand a Category 4 hurricane, yet building codes throughout the rest of the state are not so strict.
According to current building codes adopted by most Florida counties, a home must be built to withstand a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of approximately 90-114 mph with gusts of no more than 120 mph. This may sound like adequate protection, but homes built within these guidelines would not have survived a Category 4 hurricane such as Andrew, Opal, Charlie, or more recently, Katrina.
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