FBC DELAYS IMPLEMENTATION

On September 1, the Florida Building Commission (FBC) decided to delay implementation of the design criteria in section R301.2.1.1 of the residential code, which the chairman said was brought up “at the 12th hour.” The IHPA has several members in attendance at each meeting to help promote the hurricane protection industry.

On Monday July 19, the FBC held a conference call and decided to wait until the August meeting in Miami to decide whether there would be a delay in the implementation date of the proposed code. The commission voted to have an additional rule-making hearing at the August meeting to hear public input.

The commission decided that if a change needs to be made and the wind criteria brought back down to the 100 mph wind loads as is being proposed by the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) and they decide to accept the proposed change it will delay the implementation date for three months.

INTERNAL PRESSURE

A soft, southern summer breeze eases through the leaves as the tree limbs sashay softly to the rhythm of Mother Nature. In minutes the soft zephyr becomes invisible walls of force bending the trees and sending debris rolling down the street.

In the next few hours the clouds will become a terrifying black with lightning streaking across the sky as the wind and rain combine into a horizontal assault on any object in their path. Trees are ripped from the ground, years of shade and comfort toppled in an instant. Power lines crackle as they snap, and the reassuring light of civilization recedes into the total darkness.

The wind roars like a freight train barreling through town in the middle of the night, the wood trusses in the roof groan with the strain of the storm. The steady beat of raindrops dancing off the glass is shattered by the crunching sound of flying aluminum beams, once majestic pool cages protecting its owners from the elements now becomes a servant of destruction, smashing into the glass, shattering the steady rhythm of the rain.

In an instant the roar of angry winds rip into the structure, bringing shards of wind-driven debris into the home, mauling the inside of the house, terrifying the inhabitants until the sides of the structure strain to protect its owners and give way to the hurricane force wind. The roof gives way with a loud explosion as the roof tie downs give way to the internal pressure created when water and wind are forced into the structure. The roof splinters into pieces as the storm uses the debris to assault the next structure in a growing path of destruction.

The state of Florida and the Caribbean have been assaulted by record-breaking storms, and it is early in the season. Bonnie, Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne have left death, despair and destruction in their wakes. But there have been positives from the storm season. The new, improved building code implemented in Florida has reduced the aftermath. Old structures and mobile homes took a beating. Buildings protected with hurricane protection weathered the storms with a greater resilience than was expected. The new code has left two types of victims: those with roofs and no interiors traumatized by the storm and those that meet the new code with protected openings.

Yes, the protected opening dwellings did cost more to build but they will cost far less to repair and saving the emotional toll that your love ones will be harmed or killed by the storm will outweigh any of the other arguments for personal homes being designed for internal pressure.

The new structures built to withstand internal pressure have left their inhabitants dismayed that the insides of their homes were destroyed while their loved ones were terrified by the projectiles being hurled through their new homes. Lives being risked and dwellings damaged were far greater than homes being protected from a breech in an external opening. The terrified occupants will demand to know why their house failed to protect their loved ones and in the investigation that is sure to follow, the ignorance of allowing structures that are used as shelters by humans beings to be designed for internal pressure will be dragged back into the spotlight, and failure will cause the government and the marketplace to look closer at the folly of designing a structure to allow the forces of mother nature to flow into the building and out the other side while maintaining the integrity of the roof.

Yes the persons weren’t crushed, but the terror of 100-mph winds ripping into your home could have been prevented by enclosing the envelope of the home with wind protection storm shutters, storm panels, impact glass and, yes, precut plywood—all are better examples of hurricane safety than designing for internal pressure.

When the Florida state legislators reconvene in Tallahassee, IHPA Director Doug Thomas, IHPA Insurance Coordinator Don Leggett and IHPA Building Code Consultant Joe Belcher will again make the trip to the state capital to learn if the government, under the wisdom gained by hindsight, will abolish the designed for internal pressure loophole and help safeguard the citizens of Florida before next year’s storms bring more examples of suffering.

HURRICANE NOTES FROM NORTH CAROLINA

• North Carolina suffers flooding from Hurricane Frances.
• North Carolina receives about five inches of water in the Triangle Area.
• Fact: Flooding kills more people in North Carolina than any other weather phenomena.
• Fact: Almost a quarter of all flooding deaths happen in cars as people try to drive through flooded areas.
• Fact: 78 percent of all children killed by storms drown in freshwater floods.

HURRICANE NOTES FROM GEORGIA

• As much as $100 million dollars worth of property was destroyed, and between a quarter and a half of the state’s pecan crop was wiped out.
• About 400,000 residents statewide lost power at the height of the storm.
• Frances dumped as much as 13 inches of rain along the coast and the southeast region.

HURRICANE NOTES FROM FLORIDA

• Hurricane Charley killed 27 people in Florida and caused an estimated $6.8 billion in damage.
• Florida Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher estimated Frances’ insured damage at about $4 billion. Total damage is typically estimated at double the insured losses.
• Frances had sustained wind speeds of 115-mph and more than 13 inches of rain, flooding West Palm Beach streets up to four feet deep.
• About 3 million people were without electricity in Florida.
• About 2 million people were ordered to evacuate.

STORM RELATED INSURANCE QUESTIONS

Hurricane Charley caused about $6.8 billion of insured losses when it hit in August. Hurricane Frances will cost about $4 billion with a majority of that coming from flood claims that will be paid out of the federal flood program. The initial claims estimate for Ivan damages is in the $10 billion range.

• Will the insurance industry be able to pay the claims?

Yes. The industry has been accumulating capital and reserves since the attack on September 11.

Current insurance reserves are about $373 billion. In comparison, when Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992 the insurance industry had approximately $163 billion in reserves.

• Will the carriers raise rates?

In addition to a larger cash reserve, higher hurricane deductibles and better hurricane protection systems have contributed to a system that will be able to pay all the storm-related claims and still not have to raise the current rates, which will be good news for all the parties involved.

• What effect will the insurance industry have on the storm protection industry?

After all the data is compiled the insurance industry will be offering credits for better hurricane protection systems, debits or the elimination of coverage for structures without hurricane protection.

The early analysis of structure damage from Hurricane Charley was that structures that had properly installed protection were 10 times more likely to remain standing after the storm.

• What should I do as a property owner immediately after my building has sustained damage?

Call your agent or insurance carrier to report the claim. Secure the premises. Begin water mitigation to limit mold and mildew.

• The two hurricanes were so close together that the repairs from the first storm were not completed before the second storm. Will there be two deductibles?

Although there is some discussion in the Florida capital that they would like to combine the deductibles, the insurance contracts in place clearly state one deductible per event. Two named storms equal two deductibles.

• What recommendations would you have for business customers in hurricane-prone regions?

Review your business income and extra expense portions of your policy before the storm. Most businesses assume incorrectly that their business will be able to move to a new location and resume operations almost immediately thereby limiting the need for business income. The reality of a large hurricane is that all the surrounding structures might sustain significant damage and that even if your business is only slightly damaged your ability to make repairs will be limited by the building materials available immediately after the storm.

Another note: Your customer base might be impaired during the clean up, which, as the citizens of central Florida could attest, could be a long process.

For more information concerning hurricane related insurance questions please contact Don Leggett, vice president, Risk Management Insurance Office of America; (888) 269-6019; e-mail leggettd@ioa insurance.com. Leggett also is the catastrophe chairman for the Independent Insurance Agents of Florida for Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties

PROPERLY INSTALLED HURRICANE PROTECTION REDUCES STRESS

The devastation created by hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan has many Floridians feeling overwhelmed: waiting in lines for gasoline, water and food, all of which are scarce. Storm protection will not decrease these problems, but the stress of standing in line for storm protection can be eliminated.

This stress made shopping anything but a pleasure. After suppliers began limiting the pieces of plywood that could be purchased and the fasteners supply was depleted, the number of shouting matches and fights escalated. Many of the Big Box home supply stores were forced to hire security guards to insure the orderly distribution of the remaining storm supplies.

The rush of persons seeking hurricane protection had one store in Tampa, FL, opening only four isles of the store and requiring its employees to stay on the perimeters of the frenzy and act as referees.

Lumber, tape, batteries, flashlights, generators and hurricane protection fasteners were exhausted. Tempers flared. Schools were closed. Gasoline shortages are normal. Gasoline rationing by the governor was a persistent rumor, which only added to the rush for gasoline. Curfews were enforced and looting occurred.

The hurricane protection systems in place before the storms hit became crime deterrents after the storm. A University of Utah study showed that crime slows down during a hurricane. Statistically every major category declined during the last hurricane. Murders stopped completely. Interestingly, residents of storm-ravaged areas consistently site looting as their third most important concern after the safety of loved ones and the availability of immediate shelter.