Building Resilience – Going Beyond Your Front Door  

When a hurricane hits, headlines often focus on the billions in damage, but the impact goes far deeper. Behind the numbers are shuttered schools, displaced families, and businesses struggling to reopen. These are the costs that linger long after the storm has passed. 

Protecting your home from powerful winds, heavy rain and flying debris can prevent damage and help your family avoid the suffering and financial loss that comes with a lengthy post-storm recovery. Building resilience beyond your home continues when neighbors prepare as well, so your community recovers faster, and the next severe weather event is less likely to become a lasting disaster. A storm-ready community isn’t built by engineers or local officials alone; property owners play a vital role by first strengthening their homes and businesses. 

Storms That Unravel Our Roots 

Port Aransas, Texas – Hurricane Harvey (2017) 

When Hurricane Harvey hit Port Aransas in 2017, nearly 75% of the town’s buildings were damaged or destroyed. Homes and commercial buildings simply weren’t built to withstand the high winds and torrential rain. The storm triggered a housing shortage and forced businesses to close, and with residents displaced, recovery dragged on for years. Much of the local workforce had little choice but to leave the area in search of housing and jobs and those temporary moves became permanent as pricey condos replaced the workforce housing destroyed in the storm. Longtime residents no longer had a place to call home, while local businesses struggled to reopen without staff. This disruption reshaped the town’s fabric, as displaced families were gradually replaced by vacationing retirees, altering the community’s identity in lasting ways. 

New Orleans, Louisiana – Hurricane Katrina (2005) 

For many of us, images from Hurricane Katrina are etched in our minds 20 years after the devastating storm: families stranded on rooftops and the overcrowded Superdome. A heartbreaking 1,400 lives lost, Katrina’s aftermath also devastated the local economy and culture – the characteristics that made the NOLA area special. One year after the storm, more than 350,000 residents had not returned, and now, two decades later, parts of the city, including the Lower Ninth Ward, remain largely vacant.  

The aftermath in Port Aransas and New Orleans are powerful reminders: when we build resilience together, we protect our own homes and families, others in our neighborhoods who are most at risk, ease financial loss and help ensure our communities recover faster and stronger. More homeowners are demanding resilient construction, and the results offer hope.   

Standing Stronger Against Severe Weather 

Babcock Ranch, Florida – Hurricane Ian (2022) 

When Hurricane Ian hit Florida in 2022, much of western Florida was impacted by the wind and water, but Babcock Ranch was relatively unfazed. This solar-powered, master-designed community weathered the storm with homes sustaining little to no damage. Not only were homes built to modern code and with advanced infrastructure, but homeowners also coordinated disaster planning. Even with this impressive performance, the community is taking their resilience a step further by incorporating the beyond code FORTIFIED construction standards into new construction this year. 

Baldwin County, Alabama – Hurricane Sally (2020) 

Hurricane Sally made landfall in Gulf Shores, AL as a strong Category 2 storm, and caused more than $7.3 billion in damage. The slow-moving event put FORTIFIED to the test for more than 17,000 homeowners – and resilience won the battle, turning these properties into beacons of hope for their neighborhoods. A recent study doubled down on FORTIFIED’s effectiveness during Sally. According to the Center for Risk and Insurance Information at the University of Alabama, the 7,400 FORTIFIED homes in the study sample were 70% less likely to suffer damage than typically constructed homes. In fact, the study estimates that if all homes had been built to the FORTIFIED Home– Gold standard, damage could have been reduced by as much as 75%. 

Stronger Together: From Your Doorstep to the Neighborhood 

A master-planned neighborhood isn’t the sole path to make a difference – the best place to start is with your own property. According to a Redfin analysis, most homeowners stay in the same residence for at least 10 years, making it all the more important to invest in resilience where you live. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has identified science-backed ways to improve your home’s strength against future storms. 

Here are some ways to get started: 

• Start at home by identify upgrades around your property in IBHS’s Hurricane Ready guide. When it is time, re-roof to the FORTIFIED Roof standard. 

• Get to know your neighbors by checking in on the most vulnerable, sharing your evacuation plans, telling them about resiliency measures like FORTIFIED and offering assistance to those who need extra help. 

• Join in on discussions with local resilience groups, neighborhood associations, and through disaster preparedness programs. 

When the next storm hits, preparedness can mean the difference between fast recovery and long-term loss.