TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — 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 ...

Without the recommendation, homeowners will continue facing financial harm, local governments will be susceptible to ...

Lance Peterman’s home in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, neighborhood of River Oaks flooded earlier this month during record-setting rains. It wasn’t the first time for him or many of his neighbors. But ...

Newer homes seemed to fare much better than older structures during Hurricane Ian, suggesting that updated Florida building codes made a difference. In the hardest-hit parts of southwest Florida, many ...

Donna LaMountain, 51, embraces her friend, Tammey Lynch, 55, after looking at damage on Pine Island Road on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Matlacha, Fla. Hurricane Ian made landfall on the coast of ...

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Thirty years ago, a Category 5 hurricane named Andrew slammed into southeast Florida. For many long-time Floridians, that’s how they mark time: “before Andrew” and “after Andrew.” ...

After Hurricane Andrew decimated parts of south Florida in 1992, state officials mandated sweeping building code revisions for new construction. Those changes continue to limit damage from storms now.

Miami-Dade County has some of the strongest building codes in the world, designed to withstand the punishing 150 mph winds of Category 5 storms like Hurricane Andrew, which hit 30 years ago and ...

There is an overlooked issue concerning Florida’s strict construction codes and rebuilding requirements: Manufactured housing, colloquially known as mobile homes, is exempt from Florida’s building ...