PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach, the Bilmar Beach Resort on Treasure Island, and the John’s Pass Boardwalk in Maderia Beach are all iconic spots in their own right and all a snapshot in time.

But how resilient are Pinellas County’s landmarks and coastal homes should we get a big storm like Hurricane Ian?

What You Need To Know

  • First statewide building codes took effect in 2002

  • Building codes are updated every 3 years

  • Older constructions that are not FEMA compliant have biggest risk

Madeira Beach building official Frank Desantis says how well something like a building or a boardwalk holds up in a powerful storm largely depends on when it was built.

“A lot of the older buildings here were built back in the 70s and 80s and they’re not FEMA compliant,” he said.

The first statewide building code went into effect in 2002. It was only after Hurricane Andrew in the early 1990s that Florida started working towards regulating new construction, Desantis explained. Building codes only dictate standards for new and upcoming construction projects, and don’t impact the homes and businesses already standing.

That means places like the John’s Pass Boardwalk are particularly vulnerable, Desantis said.

John’s Pass Village also holds a set of unique challenges. Some of the businesses along the boardwalk were built between 40 and 50 years ago, while others were added in recent years. The newer buildings include spaced currently occupied by Bubba Gump restaurant and Hooters, which Desantis pointed out are seated significantly higher than older buildings further down the boardwalk.

The juxtaposition shows the difference between buildings that meet FEMA standards and those that do not.

“If a building goes away then its going to have to come back and be FEMA compliant and it will be roughly 6 feet above the boardwalk,” Desantis said.

If some businesses on the boardwalk are damaged in a storm and some survive, that would pose a unique set of challenges for the city.

”The new buildings would have to be 6 feet up,” Desantis said while standing on the boardwalk. “It’s going to be quite the dilemma. Do you move the boardwalk up, too? We’re examining that."

The Tampa Bay area has been spared from a major hurricane for a century. That means old or poorly maintained homes and weaker trees have been able to stand the test of time.

Zach Haber, an assistant professor of structural engineering at the University of South Florida, says because of that, Tampa Bay could be more vulnerable to damage from a storm then other regions that have been hit in recent years.

For the most part, it comes back to building codes and the materials used. 

“A newer building will be designed to a more up to date set of standards and that’s important because it incorporates the most modern thinking of the hazards,” he said.

Haber says in a big storm, the wind and storm surge pose the biggest risk to homes and buildings. With older homes, maintenance is key.

“With storm surge, the challenge is as the water rises up and inundates a region, and as it washes away it washes things like soil away and things that keep things structurally together,” he said.

Building codes are updated every three years to include the latest information. The new codes are expected to be released in December 2023.