The 2006 hurricane season let coastal regions of the UnitedStates off relatively lightly. Forecasters, however, continue topredict historically active seasons for the near-term, and--whilethey may not have made daily headlines--other natural disasters,including wildfires and earthquakes, continue to make news.

That means the availability and affordability of propertyinsurance is still going to be extremely problematic for those incatastrophe-prone areas. But that doesn't mean there's nothinghome- and businessowners--and their local legislators--can do aboutit.

In some cases, insurance companies have been forced to maketough choices, particularly in states such as Florida andMassachusetts, where the affordability and availability ofhomeowners insurance is a hotly debated topic.

Whatever else comes out of these debates, one conclusion isevident. A major contributor to the insurance availability andaffordability issue--particularly in hurricane-prone areas--is thefact that most homes and businesses were not built to withstandwindstorms; this despite the fact that we know how to buildstructures that are resistant to hurricanes and other naturalthreats, and the corresponding costs are not prohibitive.

What we need to do now is to make better construction practicesa public value and achieve the kind of scale required to make adifference.

As the insurance industry's property loss reduction advocate,the Institute for Business & Home Safety envisions a nationthat promotes resiliency from natural disasters and otherproperty-loss events through personal and institutional action. Wehave a long-range plan in place to help realize this vision byconducting research and advocating improved construction,maintenance and preparation practices.

As is the case with most initiatives of this nature, there areboth obstacles and opportunities in the path ahead of us and othersin the field.

For example, in spite of the recent lessons learned about thevulnerability of this country's structural environment, thereremains, in many places, more complacency than complaint about theavailability of better built homes and businesses.

There often are still more discussions about the choice ofkitchen cabinets than about making the kinds of connections fromroof to foundation that will help keep a house from breaking apartin high winds.

But there are reasons to be hopeful. After all, the demand forsafer and better-built automobiles took decades to develop, despitelong-standing scientific evidence proving these measures savedlives and reduced property losses. Even then auto makers were slowto respond.

This movement will take a similar dedication as well as thepower of pioneering companies, organizations and individuals tosucceed.

A pioneering effort that is meeting with tremendous success isthe "My Safe Florida Home" program, in which IBHS is a partner. Asof Oct. 26, 2006, 55,000 Floridians had completed applications toreceive free home inspections to determine their risk of hurricanedamage and recommend retrofit options, and another 45,000 residentshad requested an application.

Inspectors completed 12,000 free home evaluations by Nov.30--the end of hurricane season.

The Florida Department of Financial Services designed theprogram around feedback from focus groups that illustrated thepublic's desire for a means of identifying their home's risks ofhurricane damage.

More encouraging signs on the horizon come from researchsurrounding this issue.

The Insurance Research Council recently determined that mostAmericans favor public policies that could help mitigate the damagecaused by catastrophic natural disasters before they happen, eventhough many remain personally unprepared.

In another finding, the IRC also learned nine out of 10 adultssupport the adoption and enforcement of building codes to make newhomes stronger and safer.

Further, two-thirds would support building codes even when theywould add 6 percent to the cost of a new home.

When it comes to the lawmakers the public depends upon to leadthem, it's a decidedly mixed bag. Despite a growing body ofresearch showing that statewide building codes--and adequateenforcement of those codes--play a vital role in public safety andloss prevention, legislators in some states apparently remainunconvinced.

Louisiana had no statewide building code in place prior to thedevastation of Hurricane Katrina. In its wake, lawmakers thereapproved a mandatory statewide building code within four months ofthe disaster.

In contrast, their neighbors in Mississippi passed a weakversion of a similar bill that essentially makes code adoptionoptional--a surefire way to invite disaster the next time the windsblow.

Even in Florida, which is a poster state for well-written andenforced codes, there exists an area in the Panhandle that isexempted from the same windborne debris standards applied to therest of the state.

Elsewhere, we're hopeful that Alabama, which lacks a buildingcode, will move forward with current discussions and followLouisiana's lead.

As for home builders, some have resisted code improvements,while others have embraced the movement and have taken it a stepfurther. Early adapters have carved out markets in disaster-proneareas by implementing stronger, safer construction including theuse of our trademarked code-plus "Fortified...for safer living"program, which can be applied for pennies on the dollar. They bothhave waiting lists for their "Fortified" homes.

By constructing homes this way, these builders and others likethem are able to offer buyers confidence that their structures willbetter withstand severe weather conditions. This is similar to whatwas witnessed some time ago when certain car manufacturers employedthe novel approach of using safety features as a marketing tool--ascenario now embraced by the majority of the industry.

Also akin to the vehicle safety development arena, education andaction rooted in science is an important tactic in the process ofestablishing property protection as a public value.

For example, after the 2004 hurricane season, IBHS engineersconducted tests and inspected damaged properties in central andsouth Florida to see what construction practices and materialdeficiencies may have contributed to losses.

One example was found in the installation and production ofsoffit materials--such as the underside of a roof extending beyondexterior walls. Many builders were not following the manufacturer'sinstructions for installation, and this practice caused thematerials to fail. Water entered the attics and resulted inwidespread damage.

This was one of the findings that led to an amendment to theFlorida building code, which took effect in December. Manufacturersare required to produce soffit materials capable of withstandingthe same pressures as those applied to windows installed on nearbywalls. Builders, however, also must commit to use best practiceswhen installing these materials.

Preparing people and their communities to withstand and recoverfrom a disaster also extends to the business community. After all,a community cannot survive unless its businesses thrive. IBHSresearch shows 25 percent of small businesses that close followinga disaster never reopen.

Through our trademarked "Open for Business" program, small andmedium-sized businesses--many with limited resources--are given atoolkit for mitigating property losses and creating a plan tocontinue operating even if disaster strikes.

In addition, a special Internet-based, interactive version ofthe toolkit is being used by a growing number of these businesses,as provided through their IBHS member insurers.

It's time to focus on the steps needed to become better preparedas a nation.

By seizing opportunities to enhance public education, we canovercome obstacles and empower home- and businessowners with thetools to take charge of their preparedness.

Over time, property losses, whether natural ormaintenance-related, can be reduced and sometimes eliminated. Theseefforts should greatly affect the affordability and availability ofhomeowners insurance.