Mr. Burby reported that the mean insured residential loss per capita was $92 in states with no hazard planning requirements, while the mean insured loss per capita was $64 in states which mandate hazard plans.

An IBHS representative, Wendy Fontaine, explained that hazard planning generally involves keeping population out of harms way. As an example, she mentioned avoiding a flood zone in situating a development for senior citizens.

The losses studied by Mr. Burby occurred as a result of 226 natural disasters in the United States over the seven-year period between Jan. 1, 1994 and Dec. 31, 2000 and do not include losses from earthquakes, IBHS said.

The difference was even more significant, the institute said, in metropolitan areas where the mean per capita insured residential losses were $155 in states that do not require hazard plans, while it was $86 in states where hazard planning is mandated.

"Communities that pay attention to natural hazards have lower insurance losses," said Mr. Burby. "Unfortunately, in three-quarters of the counties in the United States, state governments do not mandate hazard planning."

He noted that only 10 states require hazard plans-- Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, North and South Carolina (coastal areas), and Oregon.

He further pointed out that many local governments do not have up-to-date land use plans, and those plans have poor hazard-mitigation elements. "But this situation can change with active state intervention," Mr. Burby said.

He cited an IBHS survey of local land use planners throughout the United States that reported community comprehensive land use plans fell short in disaster safety. The survey also found a consensus among land use planners that state mandates result in better hazard plans.

"Land use plans are a powerful tool that can be harnessed to bring about safer communities with a reduction in catastrophe losses," said Mr. Burby.

IBHS, based in Tampa, Fla., is a national nonprofit initiative of the insurance industry to reduce deaths, injuries, property damage, economic losses and human suffering caused by natural disasters.