Storm & Security

IN/BOX Weather-related Disasters Affect Four of Five Americans: Study A report on extreme weather events in the United States shows that four out of five Americans are affected by weather- related disasters. The report, "In the Path of the Storm" by Environment America, demonstrates the importance of disaster preparedness. Among its findings are: • Since 2006, federally declared weather-related disasters in the United States have affected counties housing 242 million people—or roughly four out of five Americans. • Since 2006, weather-related disasters have been declared in every U.S. state except South Carolina. • During this period, weather-related disasters affected every county in 18 states and the District of Columbia. (Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Vermont.) • More than 15 million Americans live in counties that have averaged one or more weather-related disasters per year since the beginning of 2006. Ten U.S. counties—six in Oklahoma, two in Nebraska, and one each in Missouri and South Dakota—have each experienced 10 or more declared weather-related disasters since 2006. • More Americans were affected by weather-related disasters during 2011 than in any year since 2004. The number of disas- ters inflicting more than $1 billion in damage (at least 14) set an all-time record, with total damages from those disasters of at least $55 billion. "These compelling statistics reveal that it is not a matter of if—but when—someone will be affected by a weather-related disaster," said Julie Rochman, president and CEO of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. "We cannot avoid Mother Nature but we can better prepare our homes and businesses to reduce the amount of damage she can cause." Smart Home Expo Set for April The premier Smart Home Expo has been scheduled for April 23 to 24 at the Orange Beach Event Center at the Wharf, Orange Beach, AL. The expo is sponsored by Smart Home Alabama and the International Code Council. On the agenda will be a code transition training seminar presented by ICC's Alabama Gulf Coast Chapter. The interactive training seminar will assist in the transition from the 2006 IRC to the 2012 IRC and include relevant changes in the 2009 IRC. Also, disaster prevention industry vendors will present product information booths and tabletop displays. 6 Florida Observes Building Safety Month Florida Governor Rick Scott has proclaimed May 2012 as Building Safety Month. Recognizing that "countless lives have been saved because of the building safety codes adopted and enforced by local and state agencies" and that the state's building codes "include safeguards to protect the public from natural disasters that can occur such as hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and flooding," the governor's proclamation seeks to increase public awareness of the role of building safety and fire prevention officials in protecting lives and property. Missouri Considers Storm Shelter Tax Deduction Missouri State Representative Bill Lant of Joplin has spon- sored a bill seeking a one-time income tax deduction up to $2,500 for Missouri residents to purchase and install storm shelters, according to the Missouri News Horizon. The bill limits total deductions to $2 million a year and likely would cover up to 800 people participating on a first-come, first-served basis. Lant estimates the typical cost of a shelter at between $2,500 and $3,000. The income tax deduction would apply only to shelters made in America. Florida, Virginia Top IBHS First Ever State-By-State Code Analysis The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) in January released a first-of-its-kind analysis of residential building codes in the 18 hurricane-prone coastal states along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast. The report combines IBHS's engineering expertise and regulatory research to examine the three main elements of a state's build code system: 1) Code adoption and enforcement; 2) Code official training and certification; and 3) Licensing requirements for construction trades. The assessment of each state was based on the answers to 47 objective questions. Each question was assigned a value reflecting its relative importance in promoting life safety and reducing property loses, with the total values equaling 100. Florida and Virginia top the list with total scores of 95. Florida scored slightly higher in contractor licensing, while Virginia scored slightly higher in enforcement official training and certification. Rounding out the top five were New Jersey (total score: 93), Massachusetts (87) and South Carolina (84). STORM&SeCuRITy PROTeCTION / 2012 DIRECTORY & RESOURCE GUIDE

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