Jeff - the construction aspect of your blog hit a nerve and I would like to explain.  Building codes should be utilized as minimum standards for construction NOT maximum.  The problem with all the devastation in South Florida after all the hurricanes has been mostly because of poor construction.  It's incredible to see all the older neighborhoods never have that much damage, our standards have decreased through the years and it is very sad.  Huge Developers, the ones that build zero-lot properties in the thousands, pay no attention to quality and make codes their maximum, never going beyond what is required.  As an architect I warn people when they buy new homes, make sure the inspections are thorough, and even with that, I am skeptical.  I know your post is very general - but I wanted to throw in my $.02

Ines...  I totally agree. Sure, my post was general. It was more so for people to be aware of what to look for.Trust me, I wanted to add a lot of what you had to say, but I also wanted to keep this short... and not to bore people.

If you read 75% of the way down, you will see that I did mention that builders fall behind schedule and basically take short cuts or not use the correct materials, to save profit.

Overall...  I wanted people to comment and not get bored with reading a long post that has no humor to it.

I do appreciate your added comment and I hope people read your more detailed comment. Thanks for stopping by and for adding your important 2 cents. 

Ines...PS.... and you are right to say, that the standards have decreased. Not every where, but in many areas.  thanks for pointing this out.

I totally live in the hurricane strike zone down here on the Floridian west coast.  That being said, I still prefer the hurricanes to the blustering coled of the North East!  We lost our lanai during Charlie, but since then, we've been pretty lucky.

Jeff,

I wanted to get a quick comment off before I head out for a while.  Good article.  Insurance down here is definitely high and after January, many homeowners will be seeing triple digit increase in their insurance premiums!  I didn't get to read through the whole article, so I will be back to finish later.  Also, would it be OK to post a link to my hurricane posts from a while back?

Talk to you later...

Mary.....  so, when will the next hurricane be called Hurricane Mary?   Considering that you are in the strike zone.

Robert....  Thanks for the compliment. I don't know everything about the insurance issue, but I would like to know more of the costs and what everyone else things. Only about 20% of my business is done in Florida. And yes, you can include your link....  I'll take a look at it.  thanks

Jeff-

The building aspects were already covered - I'd like to focus on the most important thing you mentioned:

BE PREPARED!

I've dealt with hurricanes in Florida and St Thomas, USVI and too often I've seen people frantically trying to get ready at the last minute.  It dosen't work!

If you need to have improvements made to your home, get on it NOW - don't procrastinate.

As far as food and water - you really can't have too much - if the storm weakens, or dosen't hit, great.

Here is an advantage we have in Florida as opposed to when you live in the islands:  You can leave and go somewhere safe!  You will usually have several days notice, so you can board up or shutter your home and leave!  Not so in the islands, you still get notice, but there's nowhere to go. The airports get shut down quickly and you're stuck.  You want to be scared?  Here comes a Cat 5 and you have no options.

I use to live in Florida. It's kind of funny, that Florida's homeowners insurance, which includes hurricane insurance, is as much as our taxes here in New Jersey. Well, depending on the market value of the house.And not that it's truly funny, but just ironic. 

Marc..... thanks for the comment and for reiterating the phrase.. "Be Prepared".  I have heard it from several clients in Florida mention...I was just going to get the work done this week and bam, a hurricane pops up.

As you said... take care of the issues now. I know it costs money and such, but take a home equity loan out then. And as you said,..stock up, you can never have too much.

Last.... my brother-in-law's brother lives in Key West. They have their boat and business there. SO they always hunker down and wade it out. Scary sometimes....  thanks for stopping by.

Jim......  thanks for stopping by. Yes, it's hard to believe that a lot of the homeowners insurance in Florida is as high as some of our taxes here in NJ.

I would like to second Marc's comment about being prepared!   So many people are not.  It is what happens after a storm that is difficult.  Yes there are disaster relief organizations, but do you really want to have to wait in the long lines.  After Wilma I learned the most important purchase one can make is a generator so you can produce your own ice....  They were quick with food and water, ice came two days after the power was back on.

In fact it is worth it to have one built into your home if you are building new.  My son's father just did it and it only added a couple of thousand dollars into the cost, which then automatically switch to generator power to the fridge, one tv set, internet access, hot water tank, boat dock and the garage door.

Also you should have a list of repairmen, contractors and such in case you need them.   It is amazing how difficult it is to get work done but if you know who you are going to call it is a lot easier.  

Colleen.....  Wow.... thanks for that great comment with so many great tips.  

Two mains tips that you mentioned...  1...  the generator   2. a list of handy people

Again, thanks for the comments. 

Jeff,

Marc was here earlier, I see.  I wonder is that was before his post.  Anyway, when I lived in S. Florida two years ago, I lived about 5 miles away from where Francis and Jean (I think it was these two.  There were too many that year to remember them all.) both hit.  Our house was a wood frame house that stood up pretty well for what it was.  Our house was a YMCA Easter house built by local contractors who donated their time and materials to build these houses.  Ours was built in 1989, and we bought it in 1998.  All we lost from the two back to back storms was enough shingles to get a new roof.  We did not even get a leak.  Had that house been built now, it probably would have had leaks gallore.

New construction in Florida does have requirements that were set back from when Hurricane Andrew came and wiped out Homestead and Miami.  But as you and others pointed out, these big developers cut corners and the homeowners have to pay for it.  But with new technology and building materials, these codes need to be updated.

As for hurricane insurance, ins. co. are giving breaks to those who hurricane proof their existing house. (just as you mentioned)  As an example, my mom just got new hurricane windows installed and notified her ins. co.  Her premium dropped a couple hundred dollars.

And being prepared... it goes without saying, DO NOT WAIT TILL THE STORM IS COMING TO GET PREPARED.  We already have a generator ready for when power goes out.  About mid-May, we stock up on the water, can goods, and batteries before people rush out when the storm approaches. And if you get a generator, keep it away from doors and window and out of the garage.  Too many people have died from carbon monoxide poisoning these last couple years because of improper use and placement of generators.

Jeff,

I finally made it back.  Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to link here and I hope people find it interesting if they decide to follow it.  The links are in reference to protecting your home's equity and preparations for surviving the financial crisis that lingers after the storm.  Before I list the links, I will tell of my experience last year and the importance of preparedness.

Wilma passed just north of my home, so we had the benefit of being in the south part of the eye wall as it moved by.  Since it was moving easterly, this was the worst place to be as you need to add the speed of movement to the windspeed to calculate the windspeed that will "hit" you.  In our case, the fire station at the entrance to our development (1/2 mile from my house) recorded sustained winds of 132 mph.  That is equivalent of a minimal category 4 storm.  This despite the fact the storm was a minimal cat 2 as far as the record goes.  The reason was that the storm was moving about 40 mph!  We suffered little damage, including the fact my pool screen stayed up.  I had a few roof tiles broke, which I manufactured my own replacements for.  I had a generator and ran it a lot and used it to supply ice throughout my neighborhood.

OK, enough of that, here are the links to my post on this topic...

Is Home Equity Safe?

Jason..... basically hitting the nail on the head, in regards to builders cutting costs. And for the fact that they follow the codes, but as you have stated, the bar needs to be raised. Stricter codes. Hence the reason for getting a good home inspection, especially on the new construction homes. thanks for sharing

Robert......  thanks for sharing that story and your link. I just read your post. Interesting and I can agree with some of it. It does make sense. But there can be arguments for both sides. But it comes down to educating the clients on what can be done and how. 

I also wanted to add about the upcoming hurricane seasons.  As Jeff mentioned, there will be seasons as bad or worse than last year.  Nature has a way of giving us a break from time to time so we can think about our planning. 

There was a company I was working with a while back that was building hurricane proof homes.  I believe they were good in winds up to 250 mph, but I am not sure.  The homes were out of most people's price ranges, so I am not sure how well this information will do for the rest of us.

Hi Jeff..

This week I was thinking about what to write and now that it looks like we are in the clear I was thinking hurricanes.. so you beat me to it! But I will be posting my experience on the 3 storms that slammed us, Frances, Jeane and Wilma. Also, I got an idea from an apprasial inspection and it was only 60 bucks to implement in my home and I feel it saved us with Wilma.

I have seen the saferooms and I think they are a great idea.. both in practical terms and as a marketing point. If it saves lives then run with it. I dont people took them as serious until Frances dropped a bomb on us. I gotta find my home video for that one!

Now sorry to contradict the experts, but they are mostly guestimating IMHO. Sure they can predict where it will go once its formed.. I'll will give them that well deserved credit, but they predicted a vicious 2006 year and it was quiet, thanks to the high pressure that sat far off east over the Atlantic to drive all the storms north as soon as they came off Africa.

I'm staying positive and thinking next year will be just as quiet. Its all cyclical.. and the bad part is over.

Great post! 

Hi Jeff,

Yes, your link is welcome on my blog page. It is surreal to find yourself in the situation of picking up the pieces after a natural disaster, but there are steps that can be taken to prevent some of the severity of what nature can inflict.  Proper building codes and guidelines are a necessity along hurricane prone areas!

Nick,

I just wanted to point out that they are not even able to predict where a storm will go once it is formed, at least not with a large degree of accuracy.  The reason is that hurricanes are peculiar and do not always follow along the path the atmospheric conditions would make you beleive are correct.  Just look at their predictions for the last few years. 

While they could track the general direction the storms would go, several deviated from the predictions, actually most of them.  Rita was projected to hit New Orleans also, yet went west.  Wilma was projected to hit FLorida, then go west, then finally, after it started a beeline towards Florida, they got it right.  This summer had one storm that hit Florida, although it wasn't much of a storm when it finally got here.  It was originally forecast to go way west and almost every day they kept inching the projection further east. 

Also, it is difficult at best to forecast the intensity upon impact.  Best thing to do is keep a plan in place throughout the season as you never know when or where until it is too late.  Take Andrew for instance.  it spun into a cat 5 at the last minute, leaving little time for "escape".  I have also had the experience of landing in a strom with winds gusting to at least 65 knots (74 mph) due to a storm that picked up speed while I was flying and many variables that night kept me from being contacted of the change.

Robert..... what were the prices?  And what type of house?  square footage?  just curious do get an idea or if you could give us a side by side example of a specific sized house and the two different prices.  thanks

Nick..... so I beat you to it...  ;o(  sorry. But sometimes it's hard to think of a topic. And I was just reading about this in the paper on Tuesday. I tried writing about it yesterday, but I deleted it, since I wrote two sentences yesterday morning.... and I couldn't get back to it. And I didn't want to rush through this, just to throw a post up.

You are right about predictions. Our local weather guy, Hurricane Swartz.... lol  Yes, Hurricane and this is from the Philly market. But his predictions have been almost right on when it comes to snow totals for the year, in the last 5 years. ANd mentions this on his commercial for the weather part. He predicts the worst snow season this year.  HHHmmmmm.... I'll keep you posted. But in regards what you said.,... even when they map out a path, 2 days before it hits land, I have seen a few change not a little, but drastically. I wish I could get paid for being wrong 50% of the time.... lol  And keep my job. Now... this is just a slight joke... because it can't be easy, even with all the technology. I mean, come on, we are dealing with nature here..... ;o)

Chris..... thanks for that great compliment.

Teresa..... thanks and I am going to post that link... thanks for stopping by and commenting.

Robert..... LOL... well, you beat me to it. I just mentioned this in a comment to Nick. When I get so many comments at once and since I comment back on each one.... I read one, then comment...read one, then comment.  In this case.... I basically made a comment based on what you already said. And since it took me some time to write it, I am not going to delete my own comment... lol 

Jeff,

I think you should delete your comment...just kidding.  Regarding the insurance, I can't give specifics as I do not know them off hand.  All I know is what I have been seeing and hearing which is certain groups of homeowners (not sure which ones exactly, but I can imagine) are going to see triple digit increases in their insurance rates.  It is mostly to offset the loses incurred from prior storms, and also to set up for future ones. 

FPL started charging a lot extra this last year to cover for their loses and in my case, my electric bill went up $100 a month.  After FPL posted large profits, they decided that next year they will reduce the rate slightly.  Maybe their reduction will cover the increases in insurance?  rrrriiiiggghhhttt.  I am not complaining as every little bit helps. 

Angela,

I have some pictures from around my parents condo is.  Their condo is located on North Hutchinson Island, not very far from where both Francis and Jeanne hit (they came on shore just south of them).  Then they got hit again by Wilma since it turned more northbound just before it got to my house.  My home would have been in the eye of Wilma, but since it turned, we ended up in the eye wall.

Robert......  those that don't raise their rates that much might pick up more business. There is a company that I know down at the shore that is about $500 more on flood insurance than a company that I use more inland. But there are no other companies down near this shore area that even does flood insurance. So this company probably thinks they have that market cornered. Well, they do unless that person comes across me, then I send them to this other company that is cheaper. Again, I am sure this will happen down by you.

Angela...... thanks for sharing the pictures and the fact that a certain builder misinformed some of their clients.

Robert..... I am sure anytime you are near any part of a hurricane, that it could be scary.

Angela.... don't be sorry for writing so much. That is the main purpose of this blog. To make others aware of this when buying homes in these areas that are hit by hurricanes.... or even in regards to tornadoes. 

Really.. thanks for sharing. 

Angela....  Nick M. wrote a good blog on this also.. 

The Florida Basics.. how to prepare for a hurricane..

WHOA!!! what a PLUG!! where do I send that check to Jeff? ;)  what the going rate on oversized links to another's blog?

Angela, that picture requesting Corona is too much. Sorry to hear you went through Andrew. I was in North Miami for Andrew, looked over the ocean and noticed that night time sky is really blue, because all I saw was a curtain of BLACK!  So I got scared.. the chandelier were swinging in circles, the water coming out of the faucet was doing circle around the drain.. the building was FLEXING!! YIKES!. soon to follow, a 6 pack down my belly, slept in the saferoom a.k.a. the bathroom jacuxxi tub and woke up the next day to surf Sunny Isles and Dania.. yoo hooooo. Almost drowed, but that is ok. it was fun.  Then I helped out with some clean up in Homestead. It was like a bomb had gotten dropped. very sad.. I'll never forget it.

and yes.. the older folks built them to last. These new constructions lost shingles all over the place. what is up with that?

Nick....  no check needed.  Just referrals....  ;o) 

In regards to Anegal's picture about the Corona needed.....  I thought it was funny at first. But sad 2nd... meaning, they might have been serious and didn't care about water or other supplies.

One thing that I haven't experienced and I hope I never have to.

Angela..... thanks for sharing. I am sure it had to be very rough. But I am sure some just wanted beer period.  ;o)

The cooking of the food was awesome. Thanks for sharing that. 

Jeff B,

Good post!  I relocated my family to Central Florida in late 1999.  For 5 years I really did not know much or hone up for that matter about Hurricane Preparedness.  Then came the 2004 season and BAM!  I had never experienced a Hurricane.....it was always something that affected someone else. In a span of 6 weeks, August 13 to September 25 we had Charlie, Frances and Jeanne. There were others Ivan and such but these 3 made believers for my family and many Central Floridians. Charlie came thru on August 13th, my wifes and I's 38th Wedding Anniversary and Jeanne came thru on my birthday, September 25th.  The eyes of all three of these hurricanes crossed the State within 10 or so miles of our home.

We became experts very quickly (baptism under fire). Although we required complete shingle replacement we were more fortunate than many of our neighbors. Now Ivan, this one was scarry for me. I prepared and prepared as the projected path was initially very similar to Charlie and Cat 5. Fortunately for us, it turned and targeted the panhandle, not so fortunate for Panhandlers.

 The biggest message for all that may reside in a potential hurricane zone is don't let complacency get the better of you. Be prepared, stay prepared!  There are many forms of disaster....acts of God or even man made.

Ron......  thanks for the comments and thanks for sharing. And I am glad to hear that you weathered many of these storms.

Jeff, I am sorry it took me so long to stop by, but here I am.

It is so sad to still see after a year and a half after 2005's hurricane season, so many blue traps still on so many houses and broker windows here in South Florida. And we are not talking about low end neighborhoods, where people may not be able to make repiars, but actually on high-end oceanfront buildings and houses in exclusive neighborhoods. What does this mean? Is it that the insurance companies are not responding or is it that lawsuits to developers are underway for poor construction in the first place?

I am originally from Colombia and have visited several countries of Latin America and it is amazing to see how different the construction is in latin America than it is here. One would think that third world countries wouldn't stand a chance being compared to the US in terms of construction, but if you travel to Latin America, while off course there is a lot of poverty and people living in structures that one would doubt call a house, the middle class and above, live in well constructed, brick buildings/houses with concrete roofs. How is it that while the US prides itself about being a well developed country, with well trained/qualified manpower and lots of money, the quality of the construction is so poor? An average house here can cost double what a fabulous house costs in Latin America and withstand a lot more. One of the reasons is that manpower is so much more expensive here, but why don't builders take a trip down to Latin America and learn how to build for real?

It just saddens me that with such high standards we have in the US for almost everything and how we are considered by the world and ourselves one of the strongest nations in the world, we don't improve the quality of our homes. Shouldn't we put more attention into where our family lives? How is it acceptable that our insurance premiums cost more than our taxes?

If Nick was to build a house, it would be a solid pour on slab and walls. The roof would be reinforced with huge steel I-beams and poured cement with bullet proof glass for skylights and windows. The garage would be 1 foot thick with a hydrolic thingy to open it.. and there would be a secret tunnel to a nearby bomb shelter that would be stocked to the rim with chocolates and beer. hhhmmm. just kidding. I KID. Nick agrees with Mrs. Yael.. too much politics when the insurers can't cough up the dough. DOH!

The system is broke.. do the leaders not see?? or do they not care???  huuuge amounts of money tend to distort perspective, right?

Yael.......  EXCELLENT COMMENT....   I can't say I know what you are talking about because I have not physically been to these third world countries...meaning that I have experienced this. BUT I can say that I know others that have... have shown me pictures.... that have lived there. SO... I can at least agree with you and state that I understand what you are saying and it does make sense. 

Overall....  it also angers me that we say how powerful that we are.  How advanced that we are....  but greed steps in. There are some builders that are good, have a very good product.... but so many that say they are doing something good, but cut corners.

Yael.... thanks for this comment and showing a lot of passion.

Nick.... love the cartoon figure... you hit the nail on the head with the insurers. They scream bloody murder, but what do they care, they are passing the buck onto the client. Suck it up and give the money that is due, from the claims. If in business to collect money, pay it out just the same.  right?

Nick the Builder....   aka Bob the Builder...  lol   Nick, you could have made millions off the name. 

Angela, Yael, or Nick, what areas have been hit the hardest?  Which type of building is the most destroyed, that doesn't hold up the best?  Maybe the high rise condos?  Just curious. I will agree though, many builders do cut corners. I see it here more than it should happen.

Hi Neil... in the areas I was post hurricane (lack of gas to be all over the place) there was damage everywhere and not specific to any type of building style. IMHO, asphalt shingles held up better than spanish tile (and I figured it would be backwards).. new homes (just built) got roof damage as did old ones.  A roofer told me that the overhangs that are not wood w/stucco fall apart easier vs. overhangs with soffit.

Condos have a different dilema. if the owner on the beach side has higher windows and one pops, then the other side gets blasted out. Also, condos above the first few flights dont really have debri flying into their windows, which is a plus. BUT, the higher you go up in the building, the faster the winds are at an given point in time.

If I had to guess, I would go with townhomes.. where you have walls on either side, and just worry about the garage door (which are normally 1 car v. 2 car and therefore sturdier) and then the back sliding door (which can be covered with shutters or wood.)

My little mini mansion (kidding) only has a few minor weak points.. except for the 'sun tunnels' I put in while re-doing the roof. They are ASTM rated, but who really knows?!  I have prayer also.. :)

I'm curious what other perspectives you folks have.. please share..pretty please, with a hurricane shutter on top.

hey Jeff, the only problem for Nick as a builder is that 'my' house would cost 10x more than the competition.. and that is why builders are 'forced' to cut corners.. to offer the house for less or to maximize profit. I guess there is a market for both, cheap and weak, or costlier and stronger.

Neil... some great questions.

Nick.....  lol  Your last comment makes sense.  And very interesting in regards to the condos and such. I knew a little of this from watching some of this on TV and it just makes sense. Thanks for the input.

Hey Nick...  do you play golf?  And where in Florida do you live? 

There are so  many things that I do not have to worry about living here in MN.  I have heard the way my 148 year old creaks in a strong wind.  It is a very sturdy house but I don't think it would make it through a hurricane.

Teresa....  thanks for stopping by. I guess all you have to worry about is lots of snow and below zero windchills.

Jeff - all good information.  Living in Florida does present challenges and all we can do is prepare ourselves and our property as best as possible.  Our house has survived a few tropical storms (under 75 mph) and a couple of hurricanes and we've been lucky... the most we've lost is about 50 roof tiles and a third-to-half of our landscaping.  With each passing year more people are having hurricane shutters installed on their property and codes get stricter.

Leanne......  thanks for the compliment and for sharing this information. I guess time will tell in regards to the stricter codes.  thanks

Great Info... Thanks, God knows we need it here in Florida. 

I like the visuals.  LOL

Phillip  

Phillip.... thanks for stopping by and the compliments.