Dive Brief:
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Although the Florida coast has added half a million new houses since the most destructive hurricane season in U.S. history devastated its communities a decade ago, the area is not at any greater risk of destruction, according to the insurance publication Claims Journal.
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The reason: Builders are constructing homes that are more resistant to hurricane-force winds in response to the strict building codes the state adopted in 2002 — 10 years after Hurricane Andrew whipped through the southern part of the state.
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The codes require tougher inspections and the use of shatterproof glass, reinforcing straps between roofing and walls, and other hurricane-resistant improvements, according to the Journal, which estimated that the 2005 hurricane season resulted in $33 billion worth of insurance claims.
Dive Insight:
Monday marked the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast below-normal storm activity. Florida’s last major hurricane was in 2005.
And although homes built since then are designed to withstand storm-force winds, storm watchers have said some Floridians have become complacent about preparing for evacuation and battening down the hatches in case severe weather hits suddenly.
