Fla. Sets Rating System For Home Storm Resistance

Florida insurance regulators said they have developed a new system to gauge a home's vulnerability to windstorm damage for insurers.

Unveiled yesterday, the Home Structure Rating System (HSRS) was crafted under a mandate from the state legislature that the state Office of Insurance Regulation develop a new rating system.

Under the HSRS, homes would receive a score between 1 and 100 based on the vulnerability in the event of a severe windstorm.

"The adoption of a uniform scoring system for home safety is long overdue," said state Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty. "For many Floridians, buying a home is the most important decision a family can make. Having this additional information will allow families to know how a house will endure hurricanes, and how mitigation measures affect insurance costs."

Under the HSRS system, the primary factors used to calculate a home's score include roof shape, secondary water resistance, roof cover, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connection, opening protection, number of stories, and roof covering type in addition to general geographic features of wind zone location and local terrain.

Regulators worked with the University of Florida's Shimberg Center for Affordable Housing and Applied Research Associates Inc. to complete the study and issue its findings.

The report was also approved by an HSRS Advisory Board, which included insurance and mitigation experts as well as home builders. Among the members was George Grawe, a general counsel for Allstate who represented the Florida Insurance Council.

The Advisory Board approved the HSRS Methodology by unanimous vote at a March 21 meeting.

"The HSRS rating system provides further evidence that Florida is a national leader in hurricane mitigation technology and information," Mr. McCarty said.