Exploring the science of a safer built environment

By Emma Peterson.

This podcast from FORTIFIED by IBHS is a must-listen for anyone interested in the steps being taken to protect people and property from future natural disasters and hazards.

Every roof’s first and foremost job is to protect the building and inhabitants beneath from the elements. These can include everything from your common rain shower to disasters like hurricanes, hailstorms, tornadoes and wildfires. And as climate change continues to impact our planet, we have watched and experienced these types of disasters becoming more frequent and more devastating.  

While the effects of these disasters can be frightening – displacement of families, loss of financial stability and destruction of community – there are steps being taken to find better ways to protect people and property from these events. One such organization working towards this is the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). They are a nonprofit scientific research and communications organization aiming to improve the built environment. As part of their work, they host a podcast called “Disaster Discussions” as part of their FORTIFIED program.  

Their most recent episode featured Research Project Scientist Jake Sorber for a discussion about hail’s impact as a loss driver across the United States. They also spoke about a significant hailstorm in Rock Hill, South Carolina as a case study and looked ahead to ICECHIP, the largest scientific field campaign in history devoted to studying hail.

There was also an episode recently that focused on the new Prepared Neighborhood technical standard. This is the first and only standard that came out of scientific research that aims to “reduce the probability of a built-environment conflagration in the neighborhoods where it is applied.” The episode gives unique insight into the science behind the standard’s four core principles thanks to Dr. Ian Giammanco, IBHS managing director of standards and data analytics and lead research meteorologist, and Evan Sluder, an IBHS research project engineer.

You can tune into the podcast on any of your normal streaming services or on the IBHS website!