This archive report was first published on 3 September 2019.
Florida's experience with hurricanes has provided valuable lessons for residents and policymakers alike. As of 2017, the state had around 850,000 mobile homes, more than any other state in the nation. This number is a testament to the popularity of mobile homes in Florida, but it also highlights the need for stringent safety standards.
Florida's mobile home standards were credited with helping many homes survive Hurricane Irma in 2017. However, the state's nursing homes were not as fortunate. In September 2017, a dozen residents of a Hollywood, Fla., nursing home died in the intense heat after Hurricane Irma caused widespread power failures and the nursing home lost its air-conditioning.
Florida lawmakers were shocked into action by this tragedy and passed a law requiring nursing homes to have backup generators and enough fuel to maintain comfortable temperatures during power failures.
Storm surges caused ruinous flooding and wiped out roads and beaches during Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Irma in 2017. Despite never making landfall in Florida, Hurricane Matthew flooded St. Augustine, and Hurricane Irma left St. Augustine and Jacksonville underwater.
Strong building codes matter, as evidenced by the devastation caused by Hurricane Michael in the Florida Panhandle in 2018. The storm exposed a weakness in the state's building code, which was more lenient in the Panhandle than in other parts of the state.
Power failures are inevitable during hurricanes, but officials are learning from past mistakes and embracing new technology. Concrete power poles have replaced many older wooden ones, and new switches installed in transformers allow the devices to be reset without sending out repair crews.
