FIC Urges Mitigation, Code Strengthening

Strengthening the Florida Uniform Statewide Building Code by requiring mitigation improvements on all new construction where winds of 120 miles per hour or greater are predicted — including in areas up to five miles inland from all coastlines — has the active support of the Florida Insurance Council (FIC).

According to a white paper issued before the start of this legislative session, FIC will urge legislators to pass changes affecting shutters, impact-resistant glass, internal pressurization, distance from the coastline, and the like to help offset the costly and damaging effects of big storms. FIC also supports legislation to repeal the so-called Panhandle Carveout that currently exempts the counties from Franklin westward to Escambia from the stricter building codes. Those counties only require property one mile or less from the coast to have window and garage door protections.

FIC announced it will push for legislative repeal of the internal pressurization option to shutters or other opening protections in windborne debris regions.

"This makes perfect sense because often the greatest damage to a home occurs when windows and garage doors fail. When that happens, the walls may be left standing but the contents of the home are destroyed," FIC's Executive Vice President Sam Miller said. "We believe building codes that apply to areas of the state outside of the Panhandle should be applied to that region as well."

The Council represents nearly 200 property insurance carriers in the state, many of which footed the huge claim payouts from the past two hurricane seasons. (As of Feb. 1, insurers paid Florida policyholders more than $30.2 billion for losses from the four back-to-back hurricanes during the 2004 hurricane season and the next four in the 2005 storm season.)

For FIC and the companies, mitigation offers hope to dramatically reduce future losses, and to support the future viability of the industry.

"Much of the losses experienced in Florida over the past two storm seasons were to homes built prior to the stricter building codes enacted in the wake of Hurricane Andrew back in 1992," said Miller. "However, there are hundreds of thousands of homes in the state that were constructed to lesser standards."

The recent series of storms taught that all of Florida is vulnerable to hurricanes, and, according to Miller, "stricter building codes that have saved homes in South Florida could have saved homes in Central and North Florida as well."

A hurricane reform package that includes a special mitigation endowment for owners of older homes constructed prior to the major building code reforms of the 1990s is being offered in the Florida House. FIC also favors the endowment.