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Study Shows Building Codes Worked During Hurricane
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1 Comments ::  :: Gulf Coast, Real Estate |
Study Shows Building Codes Worked During Hurricane
A study of 9,835 reported claims on residential dwellings damaged in Hurricane Rita conducted by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) shows that building codes work, the association announced.
TWIA is the insurer of last resort for wind coverage in 14 counties along the Texas Gulf Coast.
The analysis focused on whether dwellings built to the new, stricter building codes had less damage than those that were not built to the new building codes. Two issues were researched: the percent of claims reported compared to the total number of dwellings insured and the average paid loss for those claims reported.
"The study, which included the counties most affected by Rita, Jefferson, Chambers and Galveston, showed that there were far fewer claims reported for dwellings built to the new codes and the average paid loss per dwelling was 40-50 percent less," according to Sandra Helin, a spokesperson for TWIA.
"This study, while limited, clearly points out that the new building codes do help prevent property damage during a hurricane," Helin added. "Hurricane Rita offered TWIA its first opportunity to have a sufficient number of claims in a particular area so that the company could judge whether the new building codes were working as intended."
"It is clear that the building codes work and that their use should be expanded and become mandatory throughout the entire seacoast territory," she said.
The 70th Texas Legislature enacted legislation that says that all new construction, repairs and/or additions that commenced on or after Jan. 1, 1998, shall be inspected or approved by the Texas Department of Insurance for compliance with the building code specifications in the TWIA Plan of Operation.
Participation in this program is not mandatory, however, property that has not been inspected and certified in accordance with the requirements of this inspection program will not be eligible for windstorm insurance through TWIA.
Source: Southwestern Insurance Information Service
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Tuesday, January 30, 2007 |
Gov. Perry Proposes $50 Million Disaster Contingency Fund
AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today proposed the creation of a $50 million Disaster Contingency Fund to ensure that state and local governments have the ability to forcefully respond in times of great public emergency.
“As we have learned from disasters like hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as recent wildfires and floods, we can never be too prepared,” Perry said. “The Disaster Contingency Fund will allow state and local government to respond with all the necessary resources in the face of a disaster and better manage the cost to taxpayers.”
The Fund will be used to pay costs associated with pre-positioning state resources in anticipation of disasters; reimburse local jurisdictions for disasters that do not meet federal disaster declaration standards; provide up-front funding to smaller jurisdictions that lack the necessary resources to conduct large-scale emergency operations; and pay the federal matching fund obligations that are required for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Various disaster situations would merit the allocation of these funds. For example, the Fire Management Assistance Grant Program under FEMA does not reimburse local jurisdictions for fighting wildfires before they become a threat to communities. Also, as part of Gov. Perry’s hurricane evacuation plan, the state pre-deploys substantial resources to support local communities as a hurricane’s projected path includes the Texas coastline. If a hurricane turns and misses Texas, as Hurricane Ernesto did in 2006, FEMA will not reimburse funds for the pre-deployment of resources.
“There is no question that Texas is prepared to step up to the plate and meet a disaster head-on,” Perry said. “I encourage the Legislature to support this $50 million fund, so we may continue to coordinate our emergency response efforts and protect our communities without being financially penalized.”
If approved by lawmakers, these funds will be available September 1st for the 2007-2008 biennium and will be distributed by the Governor’s Division of Emergency Management to eligible applicants. |
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