One county's storyBoris Sursky
Roofing contractors know strong winds can rip off roofs and blow
down walls. And nowhere were the effects of strong winds on roofs
more apparent than in south Florida after Hurricane Andrew hit Aug.
24, 1992.
As a result of wind gusts clocked at 165 mph (25 km/h),
catastrophic damage occurred to buildings and structures. Hurricane
Andrew recently was upgraded by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2002 from a Category 4
hurricane to a Category 5 hurricane, the highest on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
Hurricane Andrew directly was responsible for 23 fatalities and
about $25 billion in damages, according to NOAA. The devastation
Hurricane Andrew caused clearly illustrates how important roofs are
to buildings. Once a building envelope is breached by the loss of a
roof, structural and content damage quickly escalate. That is why a
primary objective of the construction permitting process, which
includes roof permits, is to protect the public from catastrophic
loss.
It is important contractors comply with applicable building
codes and life safety requirements before, during and after any
construction project. Verifying compliance with building codes is
one of the main functions of the Miami-Dade County Building
Department, which enforces the High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ)
portion of the Florida Building Code. Miami-Dade and Broward
counties, Fla., are the areas that fall under HVHZ jurisdiction.
Following is information about Miami-Dade County's requirements
and...
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