NEW YORK CITY—Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and the anniversary of Hurricane Sandy are reminding New Yorkers of the dangers of powerful storms. Meteorologists define the Atlantic hurricane season as extending from June 1 through Nov. 30. Following Hurricane Sandy, on Oct. 9, 2013, the City of New York incorporated resiliency measures into its zoning codes.

Architect and zoning expert David West, the co-founder of Hill West Architects, spoke to GlobeSt.com and provided three key zoning regulations:

(1) The city increased the required height of raising buildings above flood hazard elevations defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. After Hurricane Sandy, FEMA released new, preliminary flood maps, which establish how high above flood levels structures must be built. The city's zoning laws require new buildings to be raised even above those FEMA levels. Prior zoning was tied to curb levels adjoining a zoning lot. This determined building heights and setbacks.