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History of Hurricane Impact Doors

On Aug. 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew slammed into South Florida, devastating Homestead, Florida City and parts of Miami, then continued northwest across the Gulf of Mexico to strike the Louisiana coastline.

In all, the storm caused 15 deaths directly, 25 deaths indirectly and $30-billion in property damage, making it the costliest disaster in US history.

Andrew did more than devastate South Florida: It revealed shoddy construction and inadequate building inspection that led to new statewide requirements to produce more hurricane-worthy homes.

Most hurricane damage is caused when wind blows out windows, howls through the home and exerts enough pressure to blow off the roof. The house can collapse. The most-discussed provisions in the code apply to coastal counties, where builders have a choice: impact-resistant windows, shutters or engineering that allows a house to withstand the internal pressure.

The ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) and The Florida Building Codes Study Commission reviewed the existing codes and recommend ways to improve them. The final version was signed into law by the 2000 Florida legislature and went into effect on March 1, 2002 as the Florida Building Code, which requires, among other things, rigorous testing procedures for impact rated doors along the east coast of the US.