I'm a forensic structural engineer. My company investigates structural building failures (although in Mich/Ohio). I agree with Terry. The damage from the most recent storm did not occur to buildings constructed under the new Building Code. It occurred to poorly built homes and mobile homes. Sanibel Island is a good example - direct hit, yet very minor damage to these better-built homes.
The current Florida Code utilizes "ASCE 7-98 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures". Most areas of the US also use this standard for wind design. The attached map shows the basic design wind speeds in Florida. There are various modifications used to convert these speeds to design wind pressures.
Buildings can be easily designed to withstand hurricanes. Tornados???? That's another ball game ...... F5 is 300MPH+
