Hurricane Andrew 20 years later: What have we learned?

Hurricane Andrew struck south Florida on August 24, 1992. Since that time, the Florida Building Code has been upgraded to fortify buildings to resist hurricane winds. However, a significant problem that remains involves the lack of adequate attachment of the roof covering. Subsequent hurricanes, such as Charley and Wilma, have shown the need for better attachment of tile, built-up, and single-ply roofs. This paper will discuss certain improvements in building construction in south Florida since Hurricane Andrew and show areas where further improvement is needed.