Mississippi enacted its first statewide building code that will take effect this August largely to strengthen homes and other buildings from hurricane and other weather-related damage. Advocates had been calling for Mississippi to adopt a code since 2005 when hurricanes Katrina, Dennis, and Rita struck the state, causing massive damage. The new law requires cities and counties to adopt as a minimum standard any of the last three editions of the International Building Code and any additional codes as adopted by the Mississippi Building Code Council. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, in an August 2011 study, found that Mississippi rated the lowest among the 18 states along the country’s eastern coastline in terms of having any building guidelines in place.
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