And what is the cost per square foot to build a house that will withstand a Category 4 hurricane?
It was not so long ago that Floridians built their modest bungalows on the barrier islands knowing a hurricane could destroy it.
The folks at Mexico Beach had better rebuild as quickly as possible before the insurance companies demand that the building codes be strengthened beyond what are currently in effect.
Soon, only the mega-rich will be able to afford to build a house on the Florida barrier islands.
You pretty much have to be rather wealthy to afford one of these houses nowadays. The prices have risen so that most of the owners are out of town investors who rent them out for vacation rentals. Not many local residents can afford the houses in places such as this and St. George Island which is about 30 minutes away.
Maybe that's the honest way of things.
I'm poor, I'd LOVE to have a beautiful beach house...
But I'm poor, so I can't.
That's not the rich man's fault.
I think the codes could use a very hefty strength increase. The money lost when a big one comes through is more than equal to the money spent building extra strong.