Number	21715
Subject	Building Safety
Source	Post (Palm Beach, Fla.)
State	Florida
Year	2004
Publication Date	12/19
Summary	Following the four hurricanes that hit Florida in 2004, this investigative team probed into why damage to homes was so significant despite seemingly high building codes. Politicians took 10 years to enact these stricter codes, meaning all homes built within that period were inadequately prepared for hurricanes. The most common type of damage was that done to roofs. This investigation found roofing tiles were not fit for Florida housetops. A flaw existed even in the brand new building codes: inland homes were not held to the same standards as those on the coast. However, these 2004 hurricanes proved damage was comparable no matter how close homes were to the water.
Category	Contest Entry
Pages	44
Keywords	hurricane;wind;rain;weather;damage;building code;home;house;roof;shingle
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