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from the editor 2012 People in the Know STORM SECURITY & P R O T E C T I O N 2012 FORECAST Vol. III No. 3 In this issue of Storm & Security Protectionwe name the second addition to our People in the Know: Thomas Johnston, president of the International Hurricane Protection Association (IHPA) and director of research and development for Town & Country Industries. Johnston has been involved in storm protection for more than 20 years, and knows the industry almost literally from the ground up (see page 12). It has taken a great deal of effort these past few years to keep the association vital while working to keep the industry strong given these trying economic times, and it has taken a toll. Still, as Johnston says, if you want to find a survivor in the business world, just open up the yellow pages and find a storm shutter company that has been around for more than five years. Those that have survived are here to stay. Meanwhile, estimates put the U.S. total insured losses from August's Hurricane Isaac at nearly $2 billion. Boston, MA, based AIR Worldwide, a risk modeling software and consulting company, estimated Isaac's damage to onshore residential, commer- cial and industrial properties (see page 6). Most of the damage reports, it stated, focused on flooding, mostly due to the heavy rains Isaac brought into the Gulf Coast. Storm surge and rising tides made the situation even worse. But Isaac was a slow-moving storm that didn't lose much strength after making landfall on the Louisiana coast on August 28. In fact, at one point the hurricane re-emerged over the Gulf, which allowed it to maintain its Category 1 strength, and made a second landfall the morning of the next day. So damage estimates due to wind could push higher. For Louisiana's coastal residents Isaac was a rude introduction to a new set of windstorm deductibles. According to The Times-Picayune, insurance companies in coastal areas from Texas to Maine added deductibles specifically for windstorms. After a severe storm such as a hurricane or tropical storm, policyholders need to pay for damages running between two percent and five percent of the total value of their homes before the insurance coverage comes into play. There are many important reasons to protect a home from windstorms and flood- ing—from loss of life to the loss of personal property. But let's face it, covering those first several thousand dollars in deductibles is a strong reason to invest in storm damage before the next event. There's a big opportunity here for homeowners to protect themselves while they repair and rebuild. There's another opportunity for the industry to be there for them. stormsecuritymag.com Web site: National Sales: Kerri Caldwell (773) 775-9293 Publisher kcaldwell@kasnicmedia.com Editorial Director Howard Shingle hshinglel@kasnicmedia.com Office Manager/ circulation Director: Tammy Cook tcook@kasnicmedia.com Design & Production: Lynda Cassidy (480) 276-3991 lcassidy@kasnicmedia.com Editorial contributors: Don Leggett kasnicmedia, LLC KasNic Media, LLc 6430 North central Avenue Suite 206 chicago, Illinois 60646 (773) 775-9293 Howard Shingle Editor at Large Kerri Caldwell Publisher Storm & Security Protection The views and comments expressed by contrib- utors do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Advertisers assume complete liability for all content of advertisements including text, representation and illustrations. 4 STORM&SEcURITY PROTEcTION / PEOPLE IN THE KNOW 2012