Weak Building Codes And Hurricane Katrina

"Take historically weak Louisiana building codes and questionable enforcement. Add a housing stock that is virtually all wood-framed -- and often aged and dilapidated. Stir in the fact that many structures have been weakened by termite infestation.Then top it off with a predicted 28-foot storm surge that could overwhelm levees and pumps that keep the Mississippi River and Lake Ponchartrain out of bowl-shaped New Orleans.What you have is a recipe for a disaster so ruinous it could overshadow the catastrophic damage Hurricane Andrew wrought in southern Miami-Dade County in 1992.

...In 2004, Louisiana approved a higher standard comparable to post-Andrew codes in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, the highest in Florida -- that buildings stand up to gusts of 146 mph.

But the legislature didn't require localities to adopt the new standard. New Orleans and Baton Rouge did, but many local communities have codes that haven't been updated in 10 or 15 years, LSU's Levitan said.

And, he added, the local building industry seems reluctant to adopt hurricane-resistant windows or shutters, which are now required for new construction in Broward and Miami-Dade."