# Wind-borne Debris Region: Building Code Definition

> How the IBC 2009, IRC 2009 define wind-borne debris region, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

- Canonical: https://harth.build/resources/glossary/wind-borne-debris-region/
- Last updated: 2026-09-07
- Data source: Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Defined in | IBC 2009, IRC 2009 (2009 editions transcribed in this corpus) |
| Primary source | IBC 2009 Structural Design (model text, not a jurisdiction's adopted text) |
| Chapters using the term | 5 (counted across the codes hosted here) |
| Wording identical across codes | No (compare before citing one code's wording under another) |

## Direct answer

Wind-borne debris region is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Structural Design. The code's own words are: “Portions of hurricane-prone regions that are within 1 mile (1.61 km) of the coastal mean high water line where the basic wind speed is 110 mph (48 m/s) or greater; or portions of hurricane-prone regions where the basic wind speed is 120 mph (53 m/s) or greater; or Hawaii.” The IRC 2009 defines the same term with different wording, so the controlling text depends on which code governs the question in front of you — the comparison below sets the versions side by side. The term is used in 5 chapters of this corpus, most often in Glass and Glazing (IBC 2009), Structural Design (IBC 2009), Definitions (IBC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

*Content and cited inputs reviewed by [Scott Barrington](https://nz.linkedin.com/in/barrington), Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.*

## What does this term mean?

**Wind-borne Debris Region** — IBC 2009, Structural Design:

> Portions of hurricane-prone regions that are within 1 mile (1.61 km) of the coastal mean high water line where the basic wind speed is 110 mph (48 m/s) or greater; or portions of hurricane-prone regions where the basic wind speed is 120 mph (53 m/s) or greater; or Hawaii.

![Labeled code-term definition diagram: Wind-borne Debris Region: Building Code Definition](https://efwwel0vyt9vy5so.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/images/glossary/wind-borne-debris-region/diagram-1344.webp)

*How the IBC 2009, IRC 2009 define wind-borne debris region, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.*

## What must be verified before using this guidance?

Two of the I-Codes in this corpus define **Wind-borne Debris Region**, and the wording is not identical — read the version that governs your question.

| Code | Where it is defined | Definition |
| --- | --- | --- |
| IBC 2009 | [Structural Design](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/structural-design.md) | Portions of hurricane-prone regions that are within 1 mile (1.61 km) of the coastal mean high water line where the basic wind speed is 110 mph (48 m/s) or greater; or portions of hurricane-prone regions where the basic wind speed is 120 mph (53 m/s) or greater; or Hawaii. |
| IRC 2009 | [Definitions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/definitions.md) | Areas within hurricane-prone regions within one mile of the coastal mean high water line where the basic wind speed is 110 miles per hour (49 m/s) or greater; or where the basic wind speed is equal to or greater than 120 miles per hour (54 m/s); or Hawaii. |

## Where wind-borne debris region is used in the code

The term appears in 5 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Glass and Glazing](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/glass-and-glazing.md) | IBC 2009 | 4 |
| [Structural Design](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/structural-design.md) | IBC 2009 | 3 |
| [Definitions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/definitions.md) | IBC 2009 | 1 |
| [Definitions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/definitions.md) | IRC 2009 | 1 |
| [Wall Construction](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/wall-construction.md) | IRC 2009 | 1 |

## The terms wind-borne debris region is built out of

The definition above leans on 2 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what wind-borne debris region covers:

- **[Hurricane-prone Regions](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/hurricane-prone-regions.md)** — IRC 2009: Areas vulnerable to hurricanes, defined as the U.S.
- **[Basic Wind Speed](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/basic-wind-speed.md)** — IRC 2009: Three-second gust speed at 33 feet (10 058 mm) above the ground in Exposure C (see Section R301.2.1) as given in Figure R301.2(4).

## Wind-borne Debris Region: what to open, and in what order

Every row is a document this term depends on. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) cover the middle rows.

| Check | Where | Confirmed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Read the definition in the adopted IBC | Structural Design | |
| Read the definition in the adopted IRC | Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Glass and Glazing (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Structural Design (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IRC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Hurricane-prone Regions | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Basic Wind Speed | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list | |

**A research aid, not a code determination.** The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.

## Where can you explore related guidance?

- [Explore all glossary guidance](https://harth.build/resources/glossary.md)
- [Hurricane-prone Regions: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/hurricane-prone-regions.md)
- [Basic Wind Speed: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/basic-wind-speed.md)

## Sources and method

Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

### Source links

- [codes.iccsafe.org](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes)

- [iccsafe.org](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the code definition of wind-borne debris region?

The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Structural Design as: “Portions of hurricane-prone regions that are within 1 mile (1.61 km) of the coastal mean high water line where the basic wind speed is 110 mph (48 m/s) or greater; or portions of hurricane-prone regions where the basic wind speed is 120 mph (53 m/s) or greater; or Hawaii.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.

### Which parts of the code depend on wind-borne debris region?

In this corpus the term is used across 5 chapters, led by Glass and Glazing in the IBC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.

### What are the requirements for building in a windborne debris region according to the Florida Building Code?

Building is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.” That is not the same as wind-borne debris region, which the IBC 2009 defines as “Portions of hurricane-prone regions that are within 1 mile (1.61 km) of the coastal mean high water line where the basic wind speed is 110 mph (48 m/s) or greater; or portions of hurricane-prone regions where the basic wind speed …” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.

### What is a wind-borne debris region?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Structural Design: “Portions of hurricane-prone regions that are within 1 mile (1.61 km) of the coastal mean high water line where the basic wind speed is 110 mph (48 m/s) or greater; or portions of hurricane-prone regions where the basic wind speed is 120 mph (53 m/s) or greater; or Hawaii.” It is defined in IBC 2009, IRC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.

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