The code book is now 8" thick. A lot has changed. The net result is
maybe an additional $500 for a $300K house for the additional
reinforcements.

Dan

I remember being in south Florida with a couple of civil engineers after
Hurricane Andrew and examining various structures that were destroyed by
that storm's winds. Most of the houses would have survived with minor
damage had any attention been paid to tying together foundations, walls,
and roofs with simple "hurricane" clips. Too many structures had
"too-large" windows facing the views. Not enough buildings had hurricane
shutters. Cheaply built commercial buildings were pierced by flying
objects. It was an eye-opener. I wonder if much has changed since.