SPECIAL REPORT:
Fortified Homes Promote Safer Living and Disaster
Survival
Safety against storms, wind and even hurricanes can be
cost-effective, too.
by Howard Shingle
If you were driving through New Port Richey, FL,
the house at 3151 Town Ave. might not even draw your attention.
That’s sort of the point, because what you can’t see
is that it’s the latest “fortified” model home
built in Florida, and it’s a showcase for how Floridians
can better protect their property and families against natural
disasters.
First Floridian Auto and Home Insurance Co. of Tampa is the home’s
sponsor, the first insurance company to build a fortified home.
First Floridian President and CEO Nancy Baily opened the new home
in the Longleaf development in New Port Richey with a ribbon-cutting
ceremony in August of last year. It’s the first “fortified”
home in Pasco County, the fifth built in Florida.
The new home is part of the “fortified for safer living program,”
a disaster-resistant new home construction initiative of the Institute
for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), a national organization
also headquartered in Tampa. The pilot program, called Fortified
Florida, features affordable construction options designed to
safeguard homes and families against high winds, flooding and
wildfires (the state’s three most destructive natural perils).
Fortified construction features, most of which are in the Pasco
County house, include:
• Non-combustible roof materials that also better withstand
high winds.
• Windows and patio doors made of impact-resistant glass
or protected by hurricane protection shutters.
• Connections that securely tie the house together from roof
to foundation.
• Securely anchored exterior structures such as carports
and porches.
• Reinforced, impact-resistant entry and garage doors.
• Building site and landscaping techniques that reduce wildfire
and flooding vulnerability.
In order to receive the “fortified” designation, a home
or structure must be granted the status by an IBHS-qualified inspection
service.
“The Fortified Florida program demonstrates how new homes
in the state can be built safer,” said Baily. In addition
to educating the consumer, First Floridian is using this home
as a training tool to help our employees protect their own families.”
Image Custom Homes built the house in Longleaf, off State Road
54 about four miles west of Gunn Highway. The address is 3151
Town Ave. in New Port Richey.
“It’s important for Image Custom Homes to show the public
how they can strengthen their homes,” according to President
Doug Naumann. “We’re excited to be part of the Fortified
Florida project.”
ADD 10 PERCENT FOR SAFETY
The new statewide Florida Building Code, slated
to go into effect March 1, 2002, addresses some of the same areas
as the fortified standards such as window protection. But the
fortified standards are uniform throughout the state and do not
make a distinction between inland and coastal counties. And there
are still important distinctions between the new building code
and the fortified standards. For example, the fortified standards
will continue to require stronger roofing material and construction
to protect against high winds.
The three-bedroom/two-bath Pasco home has a base price of about
$151,500. The fortified upgrade added about 10 percent to the
price of the home as built. Depending on the quality and type
of material the buyer chooses, the cost to add fortified features
to this model could be as low as an additional five percent.
“This home is an important step in the evolution of the Fortified
Florida program,” said IBHS President and CEO Harvey Ryland.
“This is the fifth fortified home in Florida. We look forward
to announcing more new homes around the state and expansion into
additional states.” In addition to the new Pasco home, there
are three fortified homes in Pinellas County and one in Hillsborough
County.
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BUILDING PARTNERS
Several organizations partnered with IBHS in the construction
of the home, including product manufacturers and building associations.
At the opening of the home, Tampa Bay Devil Rays’ second baseman
Brent Abernathy added to the ceremony by taking a swing for safety,
hitting an impact-resistant window with a baseball bat to demonstrate
how it protects a home from wind-borne debris.
PGT Industries donated the impact-resistant windows and doors found
in the home. “The WinGuard product line was developed out of
lessons learned from Hurricane Andrew in 1992,” said Julie
Heinsman, vice president of marketing for PGT. “The Fortified
program is an excellent opportunity for builders and consumers to
learn about the benefits and availability of impact-resistant glass.”
The Pasco Building Association (PBA) also partnered on the fortified
home. Executive Director Nita Beckwith said, “The PBA is always
looking for techniques that make homes safer. The public needs to
know that these options are available and can be included in new
Pasco County homes.”
The home also includes a tornado-safe room, built to withstand winds
up to 250 mph. It was funded by the Florida Alliance for Safe Homes,
Inc. through a grant from the Florida Department of Community Affairs.
SEASON ENDS, TIME TO PREPARE
The Pasco County fortified home was unveiled in August,
the middle of Florida’s hurricane season. Although the season
has now past, IBHS, a national non-profit initiative of the insurance
industry, reminds builders, suppliers and homeowners that other
natural disasters besides hurricanes can cause damage and loss of
life that can be prevented. Based in Tampa, FL, IBHS’s mission
is to reduce deaths, injuries, property damage, economic losses
and human suffering caused by natural disasters through research
and communications. It adds that now is the best time to prepare
for next season.
A total of 15 named storms—nine of them hurricanes—occurred
this past hurricane season. And although that made the season busier
than what was predicted, hurricanes avoided the United States for
the second year in a row.
The last hurricane of the 2001 season, Olga, developed some 500
miles east of Bermuda just five days before the official end of
the hurricane season, which ended November 30th. Olga lingered in
the Atlantic and never posed a threat to land.
Tropical Storm Allison, however, posed many problems. Allison appeared
just five days into the season at the beginning of June, swamping
Houston, TX, and causing up to $4 billion in damages and 48 deaths
after leaving its mark on 16 states.
Even though no hurricanes hit the United States this year, two tropical
storms caused enough damage to be considered catastrophic. Three
months after Allison hit, Tropical Storm Gabrielle came up the Gulf
of Mexico and hit Florida, causing millions of dollars in damages
there before it became a hurricane when it left the state and entered
the Atlantic Ocean.
Despite that hit, Florida was lucky. Hurricane Michelle was a rare
major November hurricane that crossed over Cuba with 135 mph winds
and brushed by the Florida Keys. A cold front descending from the
north pushed Michelle eastward and saved Florida from what could
have been another catastrophic hurricane.
Dr. William Gray, noted hurricane expert, predicted that this season
would be busier than the average hurricane season. However, his
summer forecast called for 12 named storms and seven hurricanes;
two hurricanes short of what we ended up with and three named storms
shy of the season’s total.
Although the official end of the hurricane season was November 30,
the season for preparedness never ends. Now is an ideal time to
make adjustments to homes in hurricane-prone areas before the beginning
of the next hurricane season on June 1, 2002.
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