FLORIDA · BROWARD · HVHZ
Fort Lauderdale builds where the Atlantic meets the canals
Broward County's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone pairs intracoastal exposure with the toughest envelope rules in the state. Here every opening earns its approval.
BROWARD COUNTY · ASCE 7-22
One of two counties where HVHZ rules are the baseline
Fort Lauderdale sits on the Atlantic edge of Broward County, the northern half of Florida's only twin HVHZ. Wind speeds and envelope rules track Miami-Dade closely, but the approval pathway and county product control are distinctly Broward's.
BROWARD HVHZ SNAPSHOT
| Parameter | Fort Lauderdale value |
|---|---|
| Design wind speed (Risk II) | ~170 mph, 3-second gust (varies by site) |
| Risk III / IV maps | Higher-speed maps (longer return period) |
| Exposure category | C minimum; D where directly exposed to the Atlantic |
| Building code | Florida Building Code (FBC), HVHZ provisions |
| Wind load standard | ASCE 7-22 |
| Debris region | Entire county is wind-borne debris territory |
Atlantic-driven speeds
Risk II design winds land near ~170 mph because barrier-island sites face open-ocean fetch with nothing to slow the gust.
~170 MPH RISK IIExposure C, sometimes D
Flat coastal terrain and the chance that obstructions vanish in a storm fix the minimum at C; direct ocean frontage pushes toward D.
EXPOSURE C / DCanals raise the stakes
Miles of intracoastal waterway and finger canals mean low-lying, water-adjacent structures with little upwind shelter from gusts.
INTRACOASTAL EXPOSUREPERMIT PATHWAY · FORT LAUDERDALE
What a Broward envelope has to prove
Every exterior component on a Fort Lauderdale project carries paper before it carries load. These are the approvals and tests a reviewer will look for.
Broward Product Control
Windows, doors, roofing, cladding and shutters need valid Broward County Product Control approval on file at submittal.
COUNTY APPROVALMiami-Dade NOA accepted
A Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) or statewide Florida Product Approval also satisfies HVHZ component requirements here.
NOA / FL APPROVALTAS 201 · 202 · 203
Glazed openings survive large- and small-missile impact (TAS 201/203) and 9,000 cyclic pressure reversals (TAS 202).
IMPACT + CYCLICFBC HVHZ provisions
Calculations follow ASCE 7-22 under the Florida Building Code, with the added HVHZ chapters that govern coastal Broward.
FBC · ASCE 7-22C&C and MWFRS
Component & cladding pressures cover each opening; MWFRS pressures resolve the whole frame against the design gust.
PRESSURE SETSFlorida PE seal
A Florida-licensed Professional Engineer or Architect seals the wind analysis, exposure call and product schedule for permit.
SEALED CALCSKEEP EXPLORING
Broward, the HVHZ, and the wider Florida picture
From the county that shares Fort Lauderdale's rules to the statewide map that frames them.
Broward County HVHZ
County-wide HVHZ rules behind every Fort Lauderdale permit.
COUNTY GUIDEHVHZ Product Approvals
How NOA, Florida Product Approval and TAS testing fit together.
APPROVALSFlorida Requirements
Statewide wind load framework across every Florida zone.
STATE GUIDEWind Speed by Location
Look up design wind speeds for any U.S. address or region.
SPEED MAPRUN THE NUMBERS
Calculate a Fort Lauderdale envelope to Broward HVHZ spec
Drop in a Broward address and the calculator applies the coastal design speed, the C-minimum exposure call, Risk Category maps and C&C pressures, then returns a PE-ready report.