From The Duh File: Michael's Power Reveals Weaker Panhandle Building Codes (Compared To S FL)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.
Unlike in South Florida, homes in the state's Panhandle did not have tighter building codes It was once argued that the trees would help save Florida's Panhandle from the fury of a hurricane, as the acres of forests in the region would provide a natural barrier to savage winds that accompany the deadly storms.
It's part of the reason that tighter building codes — mandatory in places such as South Florida — were not put in place for most of this region until just 11 years ago. And it may be a painful lesson for area residents now that Hurricane Michael has ravaged the region, leaving sustained damage from the coast inland all the way to the Georgia border.
"We're learning painfully that we shouldn't be doing those kinds of exemptions," said Don Brown, a former legislator from the Panhandle who now sits on the Florida Building Commission. "We are vulnerable as any other part of the state. There was this whole notion that the trees were going to help us, take the wind out of the storm. Those trees become projectiles and flying objects."
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The codes call for shatterproof windows, fortified roofs and reinforced concrete pillars, among other specifications. But it wasn't until 2007 that homes built in the Panhandle more than one mile from shore were required to follow the higher standards. And Hurricane Michael pummeled the region with devastating winds from the sea all the way into Georgia, destroying buildings more than 70 miles from the shoreline.
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https://www.thestate.com/news/nation-world/national/article220032350.html
