Oklahoma is well known as one of the states in “Tornado Alley,” the path many tornados take as they work their way up from central Texas to eastern South Dakota.
The destruction left behind in many communities in these states is devastating, and it can take residents years to rebuild their homes and their lives. the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has been at the forefront of research to help homeowners construct houses that are more resistant to high winds and hail, saving lives, protecting property — and possibly reducing insurance rates.
Today, one lucky family received the key to the first FORTIFIED Home™–High Wind & Hail—Gold home in central Oklahoma from the Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity affiliate (COHFH) and experts from IBHS at a house dedication ceremony.
“Our communities in central Oklahoma continue to be hit by damaging high winds and hail, so we are pleased to partner with IBHS to build stronger homes for our families by implementing FORTIFIED Home™ superior construction standards and building practices,” said Ann Felton Gilliland, chairman and CEO of COHFH. “We plan to build 45 FORTIFIED Home™–High Wind & Hail Gold homes during 2017 across Central Oklahoma.”
The IBHS' FORTIFIED Home™–High Wind & Hail building standards are intended to help homeowners strengthen their homes against low-level tornadoes and high winds at the edges of strong tornadoes, straight-line wind events, severe thunderstorms and hail storms. According to IBHS, the FORTIFIED Home™–High Wind & Hail program provides a “uniform, voluntary, superior set of building standards to help improve a home's resilience” by adding system-specific upgrades to minimum code requirements. The program has three levels of designation that build upon each level:
- Bronze (the roof),
- Silver (gable ends, chimneys and attachments like porches and carports), and
- Gold (continuous load path).
Property damage to homes from EF-0 and EF-1 tornadoes can be virtually eliminated if they are built or retrofitted using FORTIFIED standards, IBHS research shows.
|Better preparation to withstand damage
“Oklahoma averages 69 tornadoes a year,” said Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak. “While tornadoes are severe weather events that people cannot control, we can use the most advanced techniques to prepare for them. The COHFH is doing the right thing by building FORTIFIED homes that will make a lasting difference in the safety and security of our communities.”
“Almost 97 percent of tornadoes that occurred in Oklahoma during the last 20 years were within the EF-0 to EF-2 range with wind speeds of 135 mph or less. If we look at the Moore 2013 tornado, 88 percent of the damage was caused by wind speeds rated EF2 or lower. If the homes in the tornado's path had been built to the FORTIFIED Home™–High Wind & Hail Gold-level standard, it is estimated that more than 1,000 damaged homes could have withstood the destructive forces experienced that day without major damage,” continued Doak.
“People often ask why the FORTIFIED Home™ programs are necessary when many jurisdictions have building codes in place. The answer is codes appropriately provide minimum life safety protection designed to ensure people can get out of a building safely. Codes are not intended to ensure homes are habitable after a catastrophic event or to protect the contents inside a home,” said Alex Cary, manager of FORTIFIED programs.
“Habitat for Humanity is a very important partner for IBHS and the FORTIFIED Home programs. This partnership has shown that homes can be more resilient and still affordable for its partner families. We are pleased to work with the COHFH affiliate and help extend the long-lasting benefits of building stronger, safer and more durable homes for communities across Central Oklahoma,” continued Cary.
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Rosalie Donlon
Rosalie Donlon is the editor in chief of ALM's insurance and tax publications, including NU Property & Casualty magazine and NU PropertyCasualty360.com. You can contact her at [email protected].
