Florida Gets Top Marks For Building Code Storm Safety
TAMPA (CBSMiami) - If you want your house or business to remain standing after a hurricane, build it in Florida. If you're not that concerned, build it in Mississippi. That's the take-away from a new report on building code for hurricane prone states by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety.
The Tampa-based organization took a look at building codes in 18 states it claims are the most vulnerable to hurricanes, and on a scale of 100, both Florida and Virginia scored 95.
Institute spokesman Joseph King said Wednesday the two states did well due to a combination of strong statewide residential building codes and comprehensive regulatory processes for the building code officials, contractors, and subcontractors.
In South Florida, the building code exceeds that in other parts of the state, making homes and businesses built here even more hurricane safe.
Out of 18 states, Mississippi, which was hard hit by Hurricane Katrina, fared dead last. The institute blames that in part on the fact that unlike Florida, Mississippi has no statewide building code. Safety is handled on the local level, with varying results.
