IBHS: Partners in Protection

It feels like every time you turn on the news, the lead story is about a tornado touching down in a rural community, a hurricane barreling down on the coast, or a wildfire tearing through a neighborhood.

Through August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)reports there have been 19 confirmed weather/climate disaster events this year alone with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect the United States. These included one tropical cyclone event, 15 severe storm events, two winter storm events and one wildfire. Overall, these events resulted in the deaths of 149 people and had significant economic effects on the areas impacted.

Severe weather isn't going away anytime soon, so the hardworking scientists and engineers at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) are helping Americans understand how weather behaves and developing new ways to protect themselves, their homes, and their businesses.

IBHS was formed by the property-casualty insurance industry in 1977 to help coordinate emerging property insurance plans under the name of National Committee on Property Insurance (NCPI), which Nationwide was a founding member of in 1978.

Nationwide's President & COO of Property & Casualty, Mark Berven, recently had the opportunity to visit the IBHS Research Center in South Carolina where they use cutting-edge science and put it into action to help make our homes and businesses stronger, guide the insurance industry, and support communities.

While he was there, IBHS performed a controlled burn showing how one tiny ember could burn an entire house. They also demonstrated how IBHS's FORTIFIED construction and re-roofing standard prevents building damage and helps structures withstand Mother Nature's fury.

This is the type of information Nationwide and IBHS are passionate about getting out to customers, insurance agents and government officials. Education is key to preventing disasters and making communities more resilient, while letting government officials know that stronger building codes are needed to prevent damage and protect lives.

"FORTIFIED building standards don't just have benefits today. Those are sustained benefits that can last a decade and over multiple owners of the same structure," says Roy Wright, President & CEO of IBHS. "Nationwide's voice makes a difference when spreading that message to their customers, their distribution partners and policymakers,"

Nationwide is launching a new video series highlighting Mark's visit to the IBHS research facility. New videos will post every few weeks through the end of the year on the Nationwide protection page.

You'll also find Mark's interviews with industry leaders discussing the need for stronger building codes on the page.