How IBHS is revolutionizing building safety

I recently watched the new movie Twisters with Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell, giving viewers a fantastical and terrifying look at the damage that tornadoes and severe weather can do to American communities. Early in the film, storm chaser/scientist Javi, played by Anthony Ramos, says that the tornado mapping technology he and his team are creating can “change the world.”

This is not Hollywood fiction. In many ways, it is quickly becoming a reality.

As Insurance Journal reported, there is sophisticated technology that predicts storms and the damage they can cause. The techniques that fortify homes and businesses against these storms aren’t silver linings—they’re being developed and used today at the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS).

IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific research and communication organization supported by property insurers, reinsurers and affiliated companies. IBHS building safety research leads to real solutions for homeowners and businesses, helping to create more resilient communities.

I recently spent a day at the IBHS Research Center in South Carolina and saw firsthand the work the team does to research the damage that weather events such as wildfires, hail, tornadoes, hurricanes and rain can cause. had on a structure. IBHS used these findings to develop the FORTIFIED building standards, which I believe must be adopted in every community across the country to combat the severe weather events that Americans face every day.

Construction techniques that have been developed at IBHS include FORTIFIED, a beyond-code construction and re-roofing method to strengthen properties against severe weather, and Wildfire Prepared Home, the first wildfire mitigation designation program that helps protect against embers, the main cause. of ignition during a fire.

A few things I learned during my trip:

1. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Some people fear the cost of protecting their homes or businesses from weather-related events. In reality, the cost to upgrade homes to IBHS FORTIFIED standards is minimal. Re-roofing a 2,000 square foot home at FORTIFIED typically adds up to $1,200 in additional cost. More importantly, making that initial investment can not only help prevent major damage, but can also save Americans money, frustration and heartache if and when disaster strikes.
2. Educating distribution partners and consumers is essential. Most people probably don’t know that there are no universal, standard building codes. There is a wealth of information available for both groups to learn about weather and weather events, building codes and why we need to strengthen them, and how they can make simple and cost-effective changes to make their homes /buildings safer from storms and fires. Most people trust that local building codes provide a high level of home protection, but in fact they set the minimum standard, and less than 35% of Americans live in areas with modern adopted building codes. IBHS research shows that modern building codes save lives, reduce damage and increase community resilience when enforced.
3. we need to talk We’re not just trying to protect our homes and businesses; we are also trying to protect our families and our lives. Let your local government officials know how important stronger building codes are to your communities. We’re seeing good results in communities that have upgraded their building codes. For example, the modern Florida Building Code incorporates elements of the FORTIFIED standard. After Hurricane Ian hit Florida in 2022, IBHS estimates that these protections prevented $1 billion to $3 billion in damage to single-family homes alone.

As of August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that 19 weather/climate events have been confirmed this year alone, with losses of more than $1 billion each to affect the United States. These events included one tropical cyclone event, 15 severe storm events, 2 winter storm events, and one wildfire. Overall, these events resulted in the deaths of 149 people and had significant economic effects on the affected areas. The time to update our building codes to align with the IBHS FORTIFIED building standards is NOW. We can’t afford to wait any longer.

The life-saving research that IBHS CEO Roy Wright and his team are doing is truly world-changing and I am grateful for their efforts. The reality is that the severity of damage from Mother Nature is increasing and we know how to do better.

To learn more about the work of IBHS, visit ibhs.org and to see the IBHS team in action, visit news.nationwide.com/protection. Every few weeks, we’ll release a new video highlighting a different weather situation that IBHS is researching.

Photo: South Carolina IBHS Research Center, courtesy of Nationwide Property & Casualty

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Hurricane