Hurricanes: Their Nature and Impacts on Society - Climate Science ...

SOCIETAL RESPONSES 143
<strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> use regulations in preparation for these impacts of a hurricane. Of
course, hurricanes also have environmental as well as societal impacts. For
example, scholars have studied the geologic effects of hurricanes <strong>and</strong> the
impacts of Atlantic hurricanes on south Florida mangrove communities (e.g.
Coch 1994; Doyle <strong>and</strong> Girod 1997).
Building codes
Building codes are an important component in enabling structures to
withst<strong>and</strong> certain forces of nature to which they are expected to be subjected
to over their lifetime (or some defined period). Building codes, however, do
not prepare for unexpected events or the most extreme. They provide a
minimum level of protection, not a maximum level. In south Florida, Dade
County developed the South Florida Building Code in 1957 to "address the
need for hurricane-resistant construction" (FEMA/FIA 1993). Other structural
factors are also addressed by the code, which has been long regarded as one of
the toughest in the nation. It requires that structures withst<strong>and</strong> wind velocities
of "not less than 120 mph at a height of 30 feet above the ground." Thus,
winds in excess of 120 mph do not fall under the code's provisions. Figure 6.1
shows design wind speed for buildings <strong>and</strong> other structures along the US
Atlantic <strong>and</strong> Gulf coasts.
Building codes can make a difference. According to John Mulady, an
insurance industry official: "In the mid-1980s, two hurricanes of roughly equal
size <strong>and</strong> intensity struck the coasts of Texas <strong>and</strong> North Carolina. A 1989
study of the damage done by hurricanes Alicia <strong>and</strong> Diana found nearly 70%
of damage done to homes was the result of poor building code enforcement.
However, in North Carolina, where codes were effectively enforced, only 3%
of the homes suffered major structural damage" (Mulady 1994). As this study
indicates, the mere existence of building codes is not sufficient for reduced
vulnerability. Building code implementation, enforcement through inspection,
<strong>and</strong> compliance are each essential factors to reduced vulnerability. It is
important to note that the building code process occurs in a broader political
environment of community policymaking <strong>and</strong> politics <strong>and</strong> that the code
incorporates years of research experience in meteorology, engineering, etc.
L<strong>and</strong> use
It is widely accepted that "to mitigate many kinds of hurricane impacts
government must be able to control certain uses of the l<strong>and</strong>" (Salmon <strong>and</strong>
Henningson 1987). Zoning, regulating, <strong>and</strong> taxing are common means of
managing l<strong>and</strong> use in areas vulnerable to hurricanes (Burby <strong>and</strong> Dalton 1994).
Other methods include the creation of special property districts, in which, for
example, a local government might exercise eminent domain, <strong>and</strong> public