Proven solutions: Lessons from the IBHS

One organization already paving the way toward this safer future is the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). The techniques that strengthen homes and businesses against storms aren’t just silver screen tropes as seen in Twisters—they’re being developed and used by IBHS today.

The life-saving research that the Institute’s CEO Roy Wright and his team are doing is changing the world and I’m grateful for their efforts. The reality is the severity of damage from Mother Nature is rising and we know how to do better.

IBHS is an independent, nonprofit scientific research and communications organization with research that has led to real-world solutions for home and business owners, helping to create more resilient communities.

Earlier this year, I spent a day at IBHS’s Research Center in South Carolina and got a firsthand look at the work the team is doing to research the damage that weather events like wildfire, hail, tornadoes, hurricanes, and rain can have on a structure.

IBHS has used these findings to develop the FORTIFIED construction standards, a beyond-code construction and re-roofing method to strengthen properties against severe weather, which I feel must be adopted in every community across the country to combat the ever-increasing severe weather events Americans are facing every day.

Building and retrofitting techniques that were developed at IBHS also include Wildfire Prepared Home, the first-ever wildfire mitigation designation program, which helps protect against embers, the leading cause of ignition during a wildfire.

Here are a few take aways during my trip to IBHS and thoughts on how to build more resilient communities:

Prevention is cost-effective. Updating homes to IBHS’s FORTIFIED standard is relatively affordable, and the savings in potential disaster recovery are immense.
Consumer education is key. Many are unaware that the U.S. lacks universal building codes, with local codes setting minimal standards.
Advocacy matters. Stronger building codes save lives and property, as seen in Florida, where modern codes significantly reduced damage from Hurricane Ian.

The message is clear: To protect our homes, businesses and communities from the increasing threat of natural disasters, we must act now. Updating our building codes to align with proven frameworks like IBHS’s FORTIFIED standards is not just an option — it’s a necessity. The time for action is now, and the cost of inaction is far too high.

Mark Berven is president and chief operating officer of Nationwide Property & Casualty, which includes agency-based and direct-to-consumer distribution, excess & surplus/specialty insurance, agribusiness insurance, claims, strategic partnerships, member solutions, and the commercial and personal lines organizations.

See also:

Special Reports /

Building codes need a revolution to protect against extreme weather

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