As Storms Worsen, Many Coastal States Aren't Prepared

Lax building codes and poor enforcement are a big problem in some places.

June is the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. And according to researchers at Colorado State University, it’s going to be a busy one. They have predicted there will be 14 tropical storms; seven of which are expected to become hurricanes. But not every community is prepared for another active season -- at least not when it comes to the resilience of their buildings.

Eight out of the 18 hurricane-prone coastal states along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast are highly vulnerable, according to a new report from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). The report,Rating the States: 2018, is the institute’s third in six years. It evaluates the states on 47 factors that include whether residential building codes are mandated statewide, whether states and localities enforce those codes, and whether licensing and education are required of building officials, contractors and subcontractors.

Overall, the institute found “a concerning lack of progress” in the adoption and enforcement of updated residential building code systems across most of the states examined. “There’s not been much movement from [the first report] in 2012 to today,” says Julie Rochman, who stepped down as CEO and president of IBHS in April. “There’s some inertia.”

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