The Wind Load Category, 8th Edition layer contains zones in Sarasota County that mark wind-speed design loads per structure type for a given risk category. Risk Categories include Category I, Category II, Category III, and Category IV. In the 8th Edition of the Wind Speed contours, each structure risk category is spilt into 2 zones by the wind speed contour line that crosses Sarasota County. For example, for Risk Category I, the north county design load equates to a wind speed of 140 mph. South of the wind speed contour for Risk Category I, the design load equates to a wind speed of 150 mph. The remaining Risk Categories II, III, and IV are interpreted in the same way, only the windspeeds increase. For more information, please see the Florida Building Code Guidelines.

The Wind Load Category, 6th Edition layer delineates zones within Sarasota County that correspond to the level of wind load a given structure is required to be able to withstand for a given Risk Category. Effective dates January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020.