IBHS News Releases

Santa Rosa Beach, Fla – Prominence, an upscale town center development under construction in the Florida Panhandle, will be environmentally friendly and homes will have added protection from natural disasters.

Prominence (www.prominencefl.com) will span property in Walton County both north and south of 30A near Deer Lake State Park.  Residential units will earn the Fortified…for safer living® designation from the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), a national nonprofit insurance trade association based in Tampa, Fla.

Fortified techniques and construction materials raise a home’s overall disaster-resistance above the minimum requirement of local building codes.  The Fortified program specifies affordable construction options designed to better safeguard homes against whatever disasters they face anywhere in the country. Homes in Prominence will have added protection against high wind, flooding and wildfire – Florida’s three costliest natural perils.

Extra attention is given to areas especially vulnerable to harsh elements, including doors and windows, roof construction, and the foundation.  Fortified construction features include:

• Homes engineered and built to withstand 130 mile per hour wind speeds;
• Connections that securely tie the house together from roof to foundation;
• Non-combustible roof materials that better withstand high winds and water penetration;
• Securely anchored exterior structures such as carports and porches; and
• Impact protection for windows and doors.

“Building to the Fortified … for safer living® standard will allow Prominence to be more disaster-resilient as a community,” said Chuck Vance, IBHS Fortified program manager. “Once the storm passes, residents should be able to resume normal daily routines more quickly.”

"By using insulating concrete form (ICF) construction, we’re trying to, in effect, reduce your energy consumption and increase your protection," said Michael W. Henry Sr., project manager for T. Henry and Associates, which is building the development.

For more information to help protect your home or business from disasters or more common causes of property loss, click here. 

The Institute for Business & Home Safety works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other property losses by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.