US: 'Strong building codes can save lives'

Joseph Myers, who was Florida’s emergency manager from 1993-2001, addresses the need for a national strategy in the Miami Herald: "one that is rooted in strong building codes that can help mitigate the impact of major storms."

He reminds that Hurricane Andrew was the storm that launched the drive in Florida to develop the best practices for state preparedness and that many of these same procedures were followed effectively during Hurricane Irene, "strong building codes save lives, protect property, and ultimately reduce taxpayer exposure to natural disasters," he adds.