News Releases

Birmingham Revitalization Program Provides Safety, Security and Peace of Mind

Birmingham, AL, February 2, 2023 – An innovative public-private partnership is helping revitalize Birmingham’s historic Northside neighborhoods with home improvements that will mean homeowners will be safe, dry and better prepared for severe weather. Today, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, Alabama Insurance Commissioner Mark Fowler, Protective Life Corporation President & CEO Rich Bielen and other community leaders were joined by Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) CEO Roy Wright to meet with residents and tour homes recently re-roofed to the FORTIFIED standard for resilient construction.

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News Releases

IBHS delivers new Winter Weather Ready resources ahead of peak season

Richburg, S.C., January 10, 2023 – The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is offering new Winter Weather Ready resources to help home and business owners prepare their properties to prevent costly damage and lengthy repairs from the next winter storm.

As the coldest part of winter approaches, during what has already been an active season for many parts of the country, IBHS’s free Winter Weather Ready guide provides easy-to-follow actions to take now, as well as critical steps for during and after a severe winter weather event. New downloadable Winter Weather Ready checklists for both residential and commercial properties are now available to help property owners prioritize actions and ensure important steps aren’t overlooked.

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News Releases

New Report Shows Resilient Construction Offers Strong Return on Investment

Tuscaloosa, AL, October 12, 2022 – The Alabama Center for Insurance Information and Research (ACIIR) at the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business today released a report analyzing the return on investment for resilient construction of multifamily properties. The study, which measured the economic value of using FORTIFIED Multifamily™, a voluntary beyond-code construction and re-roofing method developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), found the return can be as high as 72 percent.

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News Releases

IBHS launches Disaster Discussions podcast with expert insight on weather-related disasters

RICHBURG, S.C., Oct. 5, 2022 – Disaster Discussions, a new podcast from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), launched today providing a platform to explore the intersection of severe weather and the built environment. Monthly episodes will connect audiences to science, insurance and resilient construction experts to share their insights on the latest severe weather and wildfire research.

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Commercial Wildfire Loss Training

Commercial Wildfire Loss Training [Members Only] Duration: 1.5 hours (Approx. 20-25 minutes per module) Pre-requisite: Back to the Basics: Wildfire training This four-part training will give you the knowledge and skills to identify, evaluate, and understand how commercial building components perform during a wildfire.   What you will learn: How the building and the space…

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News Releases

IBHS CEO WRIGHT URGES COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO WILDFIRE MITIGATION  

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 22, 2022 – In invited testimony to the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) President and CEO Roy Wright urged lawmakers toward a comprehensive approach for wildfire mitigation, including actions to retrofit homes to limit the impact of wildfire, strongly enforced codes for buildings and defensible space, and consistent public communications about the mitigation actions that matter most.

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Wildfire

Vulnerability of Decks to Embers and Flames

Research Attached decks are a vulnerable component of a building in wildfire-prone areas. Once ignited, decks can expose a building’s cladding (siding), exterior wall components such as windows and doors, and the under-eave area to flames and radiant heat. This exposure can result in severe damage or destruction of the building. In a wildfire, decks…

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Wind

Asphalt Shingle Performance: Hurricane Rita to Hurricane Laura

Research The wind performance of asphalt shingles and its change with age and weathering is one of the most challenging research problems currently facing the building science community. A new research study of asphalt shingle performance in Southwest Louisiana during Hurricane Laura (2020) describes how shingle age plays a role in damage and how other…

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