Discuss “Building With the Weather in Mind”

Everyone in the nation is concerned for the health and safety of Florida's citizens, besieged first by Hurricane Charley, then by Hurricane Frances, and now threatened by Hurricane Ivan. But it is strange that Florida is a state crowded with people yet unprepared for hurricane weather. Florida has more mobile homes than any other state in the U.S., and according to Carl Hiaasen of the Miami Herald, "every one of them is future storm debris, temporarily at rest." This pattern is typical of state and municipal development policies that are designed to benefit builders at the expense of homeowners and taxpayers. With many indicators pointing to progressively worse weather in the future, Florida has a responsibility to change its direction....