Room for Improvement

Across the insurance industry, adjusters and insurers alike are better prepared to respond when disaster strikes. However, damage trends recorded by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) shows a steady increase. According to the IBHS, the reasons are a “disproportionate number” of residents along coastal areas, and the equally disproportionate cost of homes in coastal areas. According to AIR Worldwide data, coastal property values in 2007 are $8.9 trillion, or 17 percent of all insured property in all states.

Yet current building codes are lacking. Of 18 coastal states, only three get a near-perfect rating by the IBHS. The organization measured state building codes in 18 coastal states with regard to hurricane damage. The results are shown below.

State-by-State (Ratings Scale 0 – 100)