To understand how severe weather damages homes, IBHS conducts extensive field research of real homes after real storms to identify areas of the home that are vulnerable.
Using this data, IBHS tests different methods for reducing damage in a research facility in South Carolina. There, they subject full-size homes to realistic storm conditions including wind-driven rain, hail, and winds up to 130 mph.
The results from decades of this work were used to create the FORTIFIED program and are incorporated into every requirement of the FORTIFIED standards.
