Storms that once seemed exceptional are showing up more often, and the added-up destruction they cause is growing. A new study suggests one practical way to limit some of that damage may already be in place through tougher building standards that make homes less vulnerable to hurricane winds. Here's what to know Researchers from Kyoto University and Kobe University described in a press release how they created a large-scale way to detect wind damage from hurricanes by scanning drone and satellite imagery taken after storms for blue tarps. Those tarps are commonly used to cover damaged roofs. Using images collected after Hurricane Irma struck Florida in September 2017, they estimated both where wind damage occurred and how severe it was. That damage information was then linked to building-permit data for more than 1 million homes across eight counties in South Florida. To assess the impact of Florida's 2001 building code, the study compared homes constructed just before the new rules took effect with those built just after. The code required stronger roof-to-wall connections, thicker roof sheathing, and, in some areas, impact-resistant windows and doors. In the analysis, homes built under the newer code were about 22% less likely to sustain wind damage, and the damage they did experience was roughly 27% less severe. "This study provides large-scale evidence that stronger building codes are effective for reducing wind risk and adapting to climate change," commented co-author Kenji Takeuchi, in the release. More background When hurricanes damage homes, the losses generally come from flooding and wind. After Hurricane Ian in 2022, 44% of insurance claims were tied to flooding and 56% to wind damage. Even with that split, researchers have often devoted more attention to flooding because elevation data and hydrology models make flood risk easier to estimate. Tracking wind damage over