As climate change reshapes weather patterns, the Southeast has seen a significant rise in the intensity and frequency of hurricanes. Florida, the most hurricane-prone state in the U.S., has been hit by more Category 4 and 5 storms than any other. Last decade's Hurricane Irma, Michael, Ian, as well as more recent – Helene and Milton, to name a few, have tested the resilience of Florida’s communities, with widespread damage to buildings, infrastructure, and the environment.
These storms are stark reminders of the urgent need for expert preparation and recovery services to minimize risks and protect lives and property.
In the wake of hurricane events in Florida, we understand the overwhelming devastation and profound loss experienced by affected communities, but you are never alone during these difficult times. Our commitment is to help you proactively prepare for these challenges and support you throughout the rebuilding process, ensuring your recovery leads to greater resilience and stronger infrastructure for the future.
With our purpose “Building Trust for a Safer and Sustainable World,” our priority is your safety and well-being. We are committed to guiding, supporting, providing resources, and helping our community recover. Whether it's immediate assistance or long-term recovery efforts, we are here every step of the way.
Our 100+ local professionals, located in our offices across Florida, not only are personally affected by these weather events as well, but also are there and ready to respond, provide insight into what to do next, and actually guide you through the journey.
SOCOTEC’s Commitment: From Recovery to Resilience
Partnering with a comprehensive pre- and post-hurricane services team like SOCOTEC provides both effective help to prepare and mitigate damage ahead of the storm and a clear path to recovery in the aftermath.
Having a disaster plan and being prepared in advance can help save you money, time, and most importantly, lives.
“Within SOCOTEC's Owner's Rep Division, we play a crucial role in coordinating hurricane preparedness when a property is under renovation. We ensure that materials, equipment, and structures are properly secured, integrating storm plans into the project timeline. After the storm, we take the lead in coordinating recovery efforts—managing post-assessments, working with contractors to resume repairs, and ensuring that the property is restored efficiently and safely. Our goal is to minimize downtime and keep the project on track while safeguarding the property’s long-term investment.”
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SOCOTEC’s strength lies in the integration of specialized teams, each offering distinct expertise to deliver comprehensive solutions.
The SOCOTEC Way : Our teams collaborate seamlessly, providing full-service support from risk assessment to recovery, and everything in between for both new and existing buildings across the state.
1428 Brickell - Miami, FL
Building Envelope + Energy & Sustainability + Life Safety (New Construction)
Naples Beach Club - Naples, FL
Building Envelope + Life Safety (Existing Building)
Grove at Grand Bay - Miami, FL
OPM + Energy & Sustainability + Life Safety (Existing Building)
Miami Beach Convention Center - Miami, FL
Energy & Sustainability + Life Safety (New Construction)
Miami Freedom Park - Miami, FL
Energy & Sustainability + Life Safety (New Construction)
Paramount Miami Worldcenter - Miami, FL
Building Envelope + Energy & Sustainability (New Construction)
29N - Miami, FL
Building Envelope + Life Safety (New Construction)
830 Brickell - Miami, FL
Energy & Sustainability + Life Safety (New Construction)
Mercedes Benz Tower - Miami, FL
Building Envelope + Life Safety (New Construction)
Pier 66 - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Building Envelope + Life Safety (New Construction)
SOCOTEC USA supports project teams and their built assets through each stage of the Emergency Management lifecycle:
Mitigation
Mitigation focuses on preventing or reducing the impact of potential disasters. Our Building and Real Estate sector identifies compound risks and site-specific vulnerabilities through comprehensive field inspections, laboratory testing, peer reviews, technical assessments, and specialized engineering support services. Our Advanced Analysis team helps prevent failures through finite element analyses and fracture mechanics to uncover root causes of major issues.
Preparedness
Preparedness involves actions to be taken before an emergency occurs, such as developing plans and training. Our Energy & Sustainability Consulting team provides expertise across various sustainability benchmarking tools and rating systems, helping to optimize building resilience. We create digital twins using Building Information Modeling to simulate energy usage, daylight, dewpoint, airflow, and fire spread, allowing teams to prepare for various scenarios. Our Owners' Representative services assist clients with risk assessments and emergency preparedness planning.
Response
Response involves immediate actions during an emergency, like evacuations and providing aid. Our Mechanical Engineers and Commissioning Agents provide third-party assurance over all energy-consuming systems, critical during emergency events. Our Life Safety experts ensure protection of occupants and first responders from fire and smoke while maintaining safe access to emergency services. Our Building Enclosure specialists help protect critical envelope systems against extreme environmental conditions during emergencies.
Recovery
Recovery aims to restore impacted areas and communities to normal after an emergency. Our Response and Recovery teams assist in damage assessments, claim support, dispute resolution, and expert witness testimony following major storm events. Our Accessibility Consultants offer universal design strategies that respond to infrastructure and flood elevation challenges, enhancing public and private spaces to accommodate all users during the recovery phase. Our capital improvement management services help guide the rebuilding process.
Find out more about our Florida footprint and how to reach one of our many experts
