IBHS News Releases

Rather than simply hunkering down and hoping for the best when nature lets loose, however, the insurance industry is spearheading new approaches to reduce the havoc these windstorms create in Florida and other disaster-prone regions.

Appearing today at a Deerfield Beach, Fla., roundtable on hurricanes with Vice President Gore, Don Sullivan, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, State Farm Fire and Casualty Co., said the people of Florida need not accept that death, injury and widespread destruction are the inevitable results of hurricanes and tornadoes.

"Today, we know how to reduce the injuries, deaths, property damage and human suffering caused by these storms," said Sullivan, who is a board member of the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), a nonprofit educational initiative of the insurance industry. "We just need the will to do what it takes."

Sullivan said "homes and commercial buildings don't need to be blown away. Families and businesses don't need to be blown apart."

Sullivan pointed out that many of the steps people can take to protect their families and possessions in their current homes are generally affordable. These mitigation measures are even less expensive when incorporated during the initial construction, he added.

State Farm is constructing a demonstration home in Deerfield Beach incorporating dozens of construction features that are designed to better protect people and reduce property loss from hurricanes and other natural disasters.

For its part, IBHS has developed, sponsored or supported many innovative programs aimed at helping people make their homes and businesses more resilient against windstorm damage. Some of these include:

SHOWCASE COMMUNITIES. IBHS has named Deerfield Beach one of its national "Showcase Communities" because the city is making a concerted effort to institutionalize the concept of natural disaster mitigation as an important public value.

As part of this program, volunteers from State Farm offices in Florida are retrofitting child care centers in Deerfield Beach to safeguard children. The company today is retrofitting the Cathedral Church of God Child Care Center and completed work on the Stanley Terrace child care facility in May.

SEAL OF APPROVAL. This IBHS home safety program recognizes homes that meet important disaster resistant criteria. Specially trained inspectors will begin implementing the program in Florida in October.

FLORIDA ALLIANCE FOR SAFE HOMES (FLASH). An unprecedented partnership of government, the insurance industry and nonprofit organizations, FLASH is conducting a comprehensive statewide awareness campaign to help people reduce personal and economic loss from hurricanes and tornadoes. In addition to IBHS, partners include the American Red Cross, FEMA, the Florida Department of Community Affairs, the Florida Department of Insurance and the Florida Insurance Council.

FLASH also is working in support of the state's "Breaking the Cycle" strategy to help property owners strengthen their homes and communities against natural disasters.

EFFECTIVE, ENFORCED BUILDING CODES. IBHS believes that strong building codes, strictly enforced can significantly reduce damage to homes from windstorms.

The insurance industry supported a new Florida law that adopts a statewide building code. The law, passed this year, provides for consistently high code standards to be enforced throughout the entire state.

A study of homes damaged by Hurricane Andrew revealed that many properties could have avoided substantial damage had they been built according to the building code in effect at that time. One building code organization has estimated that the use of model building code criteria in every new home could save as much as $300 million in windstorm losses each year.

"New approaches such as the programs of IBHS are critical to protecting people, their homes, businesses and possessions from catastrophes," said Sullivan. "Mitigation is a wise investment, while the consequences of doing nothing are severe."