FEMA's Coastal Construction Manual Update—Wind Resistant Design

The third edition of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) P-55, Coastal Construction Manual: Principles and Practices of Planning, Siting, Designing, Constructing, and Maintaining Residential Buildings in Coastal Areas (CCM), was published in 2000. The third edition is based in part on lessons learned from Hurricane Andrew (1992) and other hurricanes in the 1990s. The manual was updated and reorganized for the fourth edition, published in 2011. The fourth edition is based in large part on lessons learned from Hurricanes Charley (2004), Ivan (2004), Katrina (2005), and Ike (2008). This paper summarizes the wind-related updates in the fourth edition of the CCM, including best practices for the enhanced performance of the main wind force resisting system and building envelope in residential buildings in coastal areas.