On Thu, 07 Jul 2005 12:18:47 -0400, HarryKrause wrote:

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.

Andrew was an eye-opener to many. Since it hit, the building codes have
been strengthened considerably, addressing many of your concerns. Roofs
designed to sustain 115 mph (I believe) winds, more nails, more clips,
etc. Enforcement is another issue. Many of the buildings in South
Florida, pre-Andrew, were just plain shoddy construction. I believe there
are still lawsuits winding their way through the courts.

A couple of pictures that clearly show differences in construction:

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/historic/nws/wea00569.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/historic/nws/wea00568.htm

More photos:

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/historic/nws/nwind11.htm