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Comment by sbilstein | Hacker News Reader

Huh? I lived through hurricane Andrew. Building codes were updated. People were significantly more ready for the string of hurricanes that came through 1999-2005. Miami is still gonna be underwater due to climate change but the response to hurricanes was dramatic. People know how to deal with hurricanes in South Florida.

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I've lived in California my whole life. The state has been continually been beefing up it's building codes since 1906 to resist earthquakes. I'm pretty sure when this is over California is going to make some big changes.

It’s really striking how many metal roofs have been installed in Florida. Everywhere else they’re seen as an unobtainable luxury.

Even the non-metal roofs have changed. The shape used to be 2-plane, like a book opened face-down, with a spine running from one end to the other. This made two walls of the house pentagonal. Those pentagonal walls typically had the upper portion just sitting there, barely attached. Now the building codes require internal diagonal bracing for that portion, if it even exists. Insurance companies charge more if it exists, so most roofs are more pyramid-like, composed of 4 planes, with the edge of the roof being the same height from the ground all around the house.

So, hip roofs are preferred over gable roofs?

Yes. Because some people built poor-quality gable roofs, we all pay more for insurance if we have them. Never mind that the pentagonal walls could be made of steel or poured concrete. Insurance companies just don't want that type of roof.

Agree with you on this, like I mentioned above I was uninformed - happened before I was born :) Thank you for the information.

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