Trixie Parkes’s 1976 wood-framed cottage long served as her home and main source of income, because she rented two units on the top floor to tourists. But when Hurricane Ian tore through in late September, it destroyed most of the first floor and gouged a gaping hole in the second-floor walls. She didn’t have flood insurance, which she said became too expensive after Hurricane Irma in 2017.⁠ ⁠ Ms. Parkes, 59, plans to sell her property. “I have a great location,” she said. “Maybe somebody will come and offer me a lot of money and I can walk away.”⁠ ⁠ Strong hurricanes and stricter building codes, arriving in succession, are changing the economic and demographic makeup of Florida’s coastal communities. Inexpensive cottages vulnerable to harsh weather are giving way to pricier homes that are more resilient—a transition that is fortifying the housing stock, but limiting who can afford to live on the coast.⁠ ⁠ Adding to the costs are escalating premiums for homeowners and flood insurance.⁠ ⁠ Florida’s building code has long been one of the strictest in the U.S. After Hurricane Andrew destroyed tens of thousands of homes in the Miami area in 1992, lawmakers adopted a uniform statewide building code with more-stringent construction requirements. The code, which took effect in 2002 and is updated every three years, establishes a minimum standard local governments must adhere to.⁠ ⁠ U.S. coastal areas prone to storms and sea-level rise have developed faster and become denser than non-coastal areas, according to a study by University of Florida and other researchers published in August. As a result, the exposure of building structures to natural hazards is increasing. Read more at the link in our bio. Photos by @matt_houston_photo for @wsj.⁠ ⁠