Code requirements for wind resistance vary substantially across Florida, with less stringent building requirements in areas of the Panhandle hit hard by Hurricane Michael.
In Hurricane Michael's aftermath, it's devastatingly clear that structures in the storm's path were unable to weather a Category 4 storm. Florida code requirements are the most stringent in South Florida, Andres Viglucci, David Ovalle, Caitlin Ostroff, and Nicholas Nehamas report. However, "they taper down the farther north you move along the peninsula. In most of the Panhandle, the code requirements are significantly less stringent."
For instance, structures in Miami-Date County must be able to withstand winds of 175 miles an hour, while "along the stretch of the Panhandle hit hardest by Michael — including Mexico Beach, Apalachicola and Panama City — the design standard drops to as low as 120 miles an hour before rising gradually to 150 mph around Pensacola at the state's far western edge."
FULL STORY: Florida’s building code is tough, but Michael was tougher. Is it time for a rewrite?
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
