News Releases

With Severe Storm Losses Rising, IBHS Releases Thunderstorm Ready Guidance 

Richburg, SC, Feb. 11, 2026 – As spring storm season approaches, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is calling on homeowners to take practical steps now to reduce avoidable damage from severe weather. According to Munich Re, thunderstorms across the central and southern United States—second only to the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires—were the costliest insured disasters of 2025, illustrating the increasing toll of severe convective storms. 

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Hail

Impact Resistance Test Protocol for Asphalt Shingles

Home / Hail / Hail Impact Performance of Low-Slope Metal Roofing Impact Resistance Test Protocol for Asphalt Shingles IBHS developed and maintains the IBHS Impact Resistance Test Protocol for Asphalt Shingles, which provides a scientific, repeatable laboratory test method for evaluating how asphalt shingles perform when exposed to laboratory hail impacts that mimic the properties of natural hailstones and the types of damage they…

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Wind

PART II: Structural Performance of the Modern Florida Building Codes

Home / Wind / PART II: Structural Performance of the Modern Florida Building Codes  Observations Of Building Performance in Southwest Florida During Hurricane Ian (2022): PART II: Performance of the Modern Florida Building Codes The modern Florida Building Code (FBC) is among the strongest wind-resistant building codes in the U.S. Hurricane Ian—bringing peak gusts of 150–160 mph across…

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Hail

Water Leakage Vulnerabilities for Shingles with Hail Damage

Home / Hail / Water Leakage Vulnerabilities for Shingles with Hail Damage Water Leakage Vulnerabilities for Shingles with Hail Damage This IBHS study investigated the water permeability of shingles damaged by hail and demonstrated the importance of choosing an impact-resistant product with an excellent tear rating (based on IBHS’s Hail Impact-Resistant Shingle Ratings) to reduce the potential for hail damage causing water leakage into the roof. …

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Hail

Impact Resistance of Synthetic Composite Shingles

Home / Hail / Impact Resistance of Synthetic Composite Shingles Impact Resistance of Synthetic Composite Shingles Hailstorms cause an estimated $10 billion in property damage each year in the United States, with the central region experiencing frequent and costly roof replacements.   Research While asphalt shingles remain the predominant residential roof covering in the U.S., used at about 80% of installed residential roofs (Freedonia Group 2019), alternative roof covering materials, such as…

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News Releases

IBHS findings on LA County’s Palisades and Eaton Fires reinforce systems-based mitigation dramatically improves home outcomes during wildfires  

RICHBURG, S.C., Dec. 10, 2025 – The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) released findings today from its post-event investigation of the 2025 Los Angeles County Fires, illustrating the necessity of a systems-based approach to wildfire resilience. Using new quantified data, the report, The 2025 LA Conflagrations, shows homes were more likely to avoid damage in conflagration conditions when there was greater spacing and lower connective fuel density, including vegetation, allowing noncombustible building materials to perform as intended.  

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Wildfire

Vegetation in Zone 0

Vegetation in Zone 0: Amplifying Damage to Structures Vegetation within the first five feet of a home—known as Zone 0—significantly increases heat exposure during a wildfire and can amplify damage, even when plants are well-watered.  Explore the full report to learn what our 17 controlled experiments revealed and how they inform future wildfire resilience strategies.  Research…

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Wildfire

Waldo Canyon Wildfire

2012 Waldo Canyon Wildfire Waldo Canyon Wildfire: Field Investigation and Lessons Learned Explore the report and video to gain practical insights into how wildfire-prone communities can better prepare for and reduce risk from future wildfire events. Research Fire Adapted Communities Mitigation Assessment Team Findings  The 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire near Colorado Springs, Colorado, was one…

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