Opinion ID: 70274
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Achieving HUD's Stated Purpose

Text: 80 The manufacturers next contend that the new wind standards are arbitrary and capricious because they cannot achieve the stated purpose of the regulations: preventing manufactured housing damage from another Hurricane Andrew. According to the manufacturers, since Andrew's 145 miles-per-hour winds would cause damage even to manufactured homes built according to the revised standards, the cost increases associated with the new standards are not justified. 81 Of course, the manufacturers previously argued that the new standards are arbitrary and capricious because they go too far, and now they contend that the regulations are arbitrary and capricious because they do not go far enough. Moreover, it is not at all clear that the stated purpose of the wind standards is to prevent damage from another Hurricane Andrew. Although Hurricane Andrew was the catalyst behind strengthening the standards, which even the manufacturers admit are too lax, the purpose of the changes according to the Final Rule is simply to increase safety in areas where wind-induced damage is a particular hazard and risk. Final Rule, 59 Fed.Reg. at 2456. That they do. 82 Even if the standards were promulgated in order to prevent a reoccurrence of damage of the extent caused by Hurricane Andrew, we still would not find that these standards are arbitrary and capricious. We agree with HUD that the regulations are not invalid merely because they fail to solve every weather-related problem and cannot completely prevent damage from another storm of the ferocity of Hurricane Andrew. Like most regulations of this nature, the utility of the revised wind standards is measured not in terms of absolutes, but in increments of improved safety. According to HUD, estimates of Hurricane Andrew's maximum wind speeds indicated that approximately three percent of the storm area experienced wind speeds of 140 miles per hour or more. Even if manufactured homes constructed under the new regulations would not have been able to survive Hurricane Andrew's peak winds, the new wind standards would have helped to prevent significant damage to the manufactured homes located outside of those areas hit by the storm's strongest winds. That may be the most that can be hoped for. It is enough to convince us to reject the manufacturers' all or nothing contention.