Puerto Rico has adopted building codes that include some of the strictest standards in the world when it comes to hurricane resistance.

But there’s a big problem: Bad enforcement. About 55% of all structures in Puerto Rico haven’t been built to code partly because the government lacks an adequate process for code certification during the building process, according to Ricardo Alvarez-Diaz, president of the Puerto Rico Builders Association.

The result: About 250,000 housing units were damaged in the latest hurricane season, Mr. Alvarez-Diaz said. The number would have been much lower if they had all been built to code. Continue Reading>>