NU Online News Service, Jan. 12, 3:03 p.m.EST

A report ranking the 18 most hurricane-prone states by theiradoption of building codes placed Florida and Virginia at the topof the list.

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)released its report yesterday, which was lauded by the AmericanInsurance Association and the Reinsurance Association ofAmerica.

Of the 18 states located along the Gulf of Mexico and theAtlantic Coast only Florida and Virginia came up with scores of 95,the only two to break the 90 mark. At the bottom of the listwasMississippiwith a score of four. Delaware, Alabama and Texaswere not too far behind with scores of 17, 18 and 18,respectively.

The purpose of the IBHS report, “An Assessment of Residential and BuildingCode and Enforcement Systems for Life Safety and PropertyProtection in Hurricane Prone Regions,” is to provide states withthe information and tools necessary to identify where their systemsneed improvement, IBHS says.

Codes are developed through a consensus process taking intoaccount established scientific and engineering principles and theexperience of leading technical experts, constructionprofessionals, enforcement personnel and the products industries,IBHS says.

Building code enforcement generally takes place at the locallevel and has little value if not enforced, according to IBHS,adding that independent studies of damage following HurricaneAndrew and the Northridge Earthquake reveal that lax codeenforcement needlessly increased total damage.

Wanda Edwards, director of code development for IBHS tellsNational Underwriter that the report is the result ofresearch comparing regulatory and other factors in each of the 18states.

The study examines the three main elements of a state's buildingcode system:

• Code adoption and enforcement—Statewide mandatory code adoptionand enforcement are the primary elements to require that theminimum standards of codes are utilized.
• Code official training and certification—Code official trainingand certification are part of the regulatory scheme to ensure thatcode officials are properly educated, trained and tested in orderto correctly enforce building codes.
• Licensing requirements for construction trades—Licensingrequirements for construction trades ensure that contractors andsubcontractors are familiar with the sections of code that impactthem, that they demonstrate minimum competency in their trade, andstay current with code requirements.

RAA President Frank Nutter says in a statement,“Strong building codes are fundamental to hazardmitigation. Homes that are built using more stringent buildingcodes are less vulnerable to the effects of severe weather,resulting in fewer deaths, injuries and property damage. Andless property damage will ultimately result in reduced insurancecosts for all policyholders.”

Nutter adds that the absence of statewide building codes resultsin a “patchwork of different quality construction that can changefrom city to city, neighborhood to neighborhood, or acrossarbitrary political boundaries.”

Uniform codes, he says, promote a level playing field forarchitects, builders and suppliers, “and if effectively enforced,will result in more effective and improved hazard mitigation.”

AIA says it supports the goal of implementing stronger and moreuniform building codes, which will save lives and property.

“Florida's adoption of strong and uniform building codes on astatewide basis beginning in 1994, following the devastation ofHurricane Andrew two years earlier, continues to serve as a modelto all states including those inland who may sustain wind damage,”says Jim Whittle, AIA assistant general counsel and chief claimscounsel. “Florida correctly recognized the need to update its codesand place a priority on home and business safety for itscitizens. Had such codes been in place prior to Andrew, it isestimated that damage sustained by the hurricane would have beenreduced by 50 percent for residential and 40 percent for commercialproperties.”