IBHS News

Contractors Prey on Hurricane, Wildfire Victims After Disasters

The news that Florida’s Disaster Fraud Action Strike Team (DFAST) has been activated in response to Hurricane Michael is a reminder that after a devastating hurricane or wildfire, homeowners may be victimized a second time – by unscrupulous contractors. Recent …

IBHS, AIUA Partner to Develop Innovative Roof Aging Farm Alabama

As disaster season approaches, finding ways to improve the understanding of how different roof materials age under real-world conditions is critical to manufacturing products that can stand up to the worst Mother Nature has to offer. The Alabama Insurance Underwriting …

Latest IBHS Report Finds Uneven Building Standards in Hurricane Prone States

There’s been little progress in strengthening codes to ensure safety and community resilience, according to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) latest report on the residential building code systems in 18 hurricane-prone states. The 2018 edition of …

Despite Growing Climate Risk, Storm-Prone States Ease Building Codes

The showdown in the Florida statehouse last year had all the drama of a knock-down political brawl: Powerful industries clashing. Warnings of death and destruction. And a surprise last-minute vote, delivering a sweeping reform bill to the governor’s desk. The …

People News: Auto-Owners, IBHS, Kemper

Jeff Harrold, current chairman & chief executive officer announced his retirement from Auto-Owners Insurance and its affiliates effective December 31, 2017. He does so after serving more than 40 years for the company. Jeffrey (Jeff) S. Tagsold has been elected …

After Hurricanes, Focus Turns to Assessing the Effectiveness of Building Code Adoption

As residents and businesses continue to recover after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, focus is beginning to turn to mitigation. In Florida, where experts say better buildings codes resulted from Hurricane Andrew 25 years ago, analysis will include how improved codes …

4 Lessons From Hurricane Andrew

It’s been 25 years since Hurricane Andrew struck the coast of Florida on August 24, 1992. The state was no match for the 17-foot storm surge and high winds the category 5 storm produced. Andrew became the costliest disaster in …

Munich Re US, IBHS Launch New App Emphasizing Safer Homes

A new mobile app designed to help homeowners better understand how to strengthen their homes to withstand severe weather events has been released by Munich Re, US, and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). FORTIFIED Home On …

Firewise Program Continues to Educate Homeowners on Wildfire Mitigation

The raging wildfire in Alberta, Canada, has prompted concerns in the U.S. that this wildfire season will be as bad as last year. In 2015, there were more than 68,000 wildfires in the U.S. making it one of the worst …

Extreme Weather Points to Value in Protecting Supply Chains

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, citing a new U.S. Government Accountability Office report, “Federal Supply Chains: Opportunities to Improve the Management of Climate-Related Risks,” urged the federal government and private sector to better understand and protect against …