Miami sits on the edge of paradise with miles upon miles of sandy beaches and perfectly blue waters. Unfortunately, for those who live here, those perfect waters are rising all around us with nowhere to go but into our homes and buildings. Not to mention, more frequent seasonal storms mean those waters are getting churned up more often and causing significant destruction in a hurricane’s wake, including:

• Loss of power
• Loss of potable water
• Flooding concerns and contaminated waters

For us in the construction industry, we simply cannot ignore the effects changing weather patterns are having on the way we live. Our building codes in Florida continue to evolve to meet the need for stronger, more resilient structures that can better withstand rising waters and hurricane aftermaths, but as developers and contractors, we can do more.

As we work to combat flooding concerns with quality builds, here are some areas to focus on:

• Improving structural materials with flood-hardy components including windows, siding, and doors
• Implementing back-up power methods – all buildings should be equipped with a standalone gas-powered generator that comes with an automatic transfer switch.
• Move power lines underground – most people who don’t lose power during an outage have underground service.
• An understanding of the type of commercial build and its location – whether in a flood zone or not, we must account for climate and geography when designing and building commercial projects in South Florida.

At Seacoast Consulting Group and Seacoast Construction, we’ve been completing luxury residential and commercial builds in South Florida for more than 25 years. Building here is a formidable challenge and requires precision and excellence. If you want to take on a project in this rapidly evolving environment, you can count on us to get the job done. Contact our office to schedule a free consultation.