I love it when people speak before thinking. There ARE codes here in NC, but like all regulations and codes, they EVOLVE. For example, our house is 10' above water height. The surge came to within 6" of our first floor...close. If it was a Cat 3, we'd have been flooded. The part where you need to think is what about the houses/structures built pre-code? Tear them all down and re-build to code? Not practical. Even now where many are flooded, insurance companies won't tear them down and re-build to code...some maybe, but not many. People don't understand the mentality of many of the people in the Carolinas. They have been here for generations and they are slow to change. In addition, it is not an affluent area in east Carolina. It's not an easy solution, and one that will take lots of time.