The 2017 hurricane season was considered to be unprecedented by many observers, but it may become the new normal. Storms like Irma, Harvey and Maria had such strength, speed and rain that governments may need to strengthen their own resilience against an increasing threat — which comes at a cost. And that added cost of tougher building codes and preventative measures has the potential to dominate the building industry — and roofers — for years to come.
Just like Hurricane Andrew in 1992 inspired a slew of stronger building codes throughout Florida, there may be another awakening after the devastation caused in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. William Lau, a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, concluded in a 2012 paper that rainfall totals from tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic have risen at a rate of 24 percent per decade since 1988. Areas beyond the subtropics are also impacted as well. Severe regional snowstorms have also doubled in the last 50 years.