More than 35,300 insurance claims were filed with State Farm in the week following the Laura’s landfall. Residents across Louisiana and Texas continue reporting damage to their homes and vehicles as impacted areas become more accessible. State Farm catastrophe response drone teams are assessing damage for customers across Lake Charles and other impacted areas.

Please continue to monitor local information. When it is safe to do so, make (or have a contractor make) temporary repairs to prevent further damage to your home or property. Save receipts if you purchase items such as tarps, plywood or other repair supplies. Take photos/videos of damage for claim documentation.

To get the claims process started, you can file your claim online, call 1-800-SFCLAIM (800-732-5246) or contact your State Farm agent.

We're continuing to gear up claims resources in response to #HurricaneLaura. We're balancing health and safety with our commitment to customers, we’re working virtually and in person, practicing social distancing with protective equipment.

The State Farm Weather and Catastrophe Team is being dispatched to the hardest hit areas.

Face-to-Face protocols, adjustments and staffing during COVID-19

• First and foremost, we are committed to the health and safety of our customers, the communities where we live and work, and our claim employees.
• Our claim operations remain open and available to service your claims. We are monitoring this changing health issue and continually evaluating our response.
• Virtual claim inspection options are available in most states if legally permitted.
• Claims can always be submitted and managed by calling or emailing your State Farm agent, calling 1-800-SFCLAIM, submitting a claim through our mobile app or through our website at statefarm.com/claims.
• Continuous innovation and adaptation have positioned State Farm as the insurance industry leader. The pandemic is a rapidly changing situation and the decisions we are making balance health concerns with our obligation to continue to serve you.

More tips and resources:

• Avoid driving if possible. If you have to travel, turn around if the road is flooded or blocked by debris.
• Stay away from downed power lines. Anything touching the power line can carry a charge. Report the downed line and avoid the area.
• Simple Insights: Hurricane disaster cleanup after the storm

In the News:

• KADN-15: State Farm Using Drones to Assess Damage (9/4/20)
• The Times-Picayune: State Farm insurance claims hit 24,800 for Louisiana homeowners after Hurricane Laura (9/1/20)
• CBS-42: Like good neighbors, Alabamians are there (8/27/20)
• WVTM-13: Hurricane Laura relief staging in Birmingham area (8/27/20)
• The Weather Channel: CAT 2 Laura Moving Inland (8/27/20)
• Houston Chronicle: Season's first hurricane gives Texans a taste of how COVID has shaped insurance claims (8/4/20)
• AccuWeather: Now is the time to prepare for hurricane season (6/1/20)

To get the claims process started, you can file your claim online, call 1-800-SFCLAIM (800-732-5246) or contact your State Farm agent.

The State Farm Weather and Catastrophe Team is being dispatched to the hardest hit areas. Click the image to learn more about the capabilities of this industry-leading response unit.

More tips and resources:

• Avoid driving if possible. If you have to travel, turn around if the road is flooded or blocked by debris.
• Stay away from downed power lines. Anything touching the power line can carry a charge. Report the downed line and avoid the area.
• Simple Insights:  Hurricane disaster cleanup after the storm

In the News

• CBS WINK TV (Fort Myers, Naples, FL)  Time to review you insurance coverage (08-29-19)
• NBC Ch 6 (Miami) - Are You Ready for Dorian? Get ready now (08-27-19)
• El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Spanish) Is my home insured for hurricanes? (08-26-19)

To get the claims process started, you can file your claim online, call 1-800-SFCLAIM (800-732-5246) or contact your State Farm agent.

The State Farm Weather and Catastrophe Team is being dispatched to the hardest hit areas. Click the image to learn more about the capabilities of this industry-leading response unit.

In The News:

• WFSU -  Insurance Company Takes To The Sky After Hurricane Michael (10/17/18)
• WPTV - West Palm Beach:  Insurance companies use drones to assess storm damage for faster, easier claims process (10/18/18)
• WMBB Live in Panama Beach: The Panama City Mall parking lot has become a staging area for work crews. State Farm also has an insurance claim center set up, and mall staff say the mall is working to reopen.(10-15-18)
• WYFF-Greenville, SC:  Flood Insurance on the Rise After Florence (9/18/18)

• The Weather Channel: What to do before and after a hurricane (09/11/18)

To get the claims process started, you can file your claim online, call 1-800-SFCLAIM (800-732-5246) or contact your State Farm agent.

The State Farm Weather and Catastrophe Team is being dispatched to the hardest hit areas. Click the image to learn more about the capabilities of this industry-leading response unit.

In The News:

• Forbes: FAA OKs Long-Range Drone Flights Over Populated Areas By State Farm To Assess Florence Damage (9/19/18)

• WYFF-Greenville, SC:  Flood Insurance on the Rise After Florence (9/18/18)

• NBC29-Charlottesville: State Farm Mobile Center Readying to Roll Out of Albemarle County Office (09/14/18)

• Weather Channel: Florence coverage, Jake from State Farm dog (09/13/18)

• WUSA-Washington, DC: What's the difference between water coverage and flood coverage? (09/11/18)

• Bloomington Pantagraph: State Farm: 'Ready to respond' to Hurricane Florence (09/12/18)

• WCCB-Charlotte: State Farm Insurance Not Making Policy Changes In Light Of Hurricane Florence (09/11/18)

• The Weather Channel: What to do before and after a hurricane (09/11/18)

Are you ready?

A little preparation can make a big difference when it comes to safety and security of your family and pets. Homeowners can protect themselves and their property in advance of the storm with a few simple steps:

• Have an evacuation plan. Before the hurricane, decide what you will do. Find out the location of evacuation shelters. Determine if you will ride out the storm in your home (if local authorities permit you to stay), or establish a safe place inland. Plan an escape route. Tell relatives where you will be.

• Put together an emergency kit. The kit should include basics such as water, food, first aid supplies, clothing, blankets, and important documents. Store your kit in airtight plastic bags or a plastic storage container with a lid.

• Protect your property. Stock plywood and materials you may need to board up windows. Move garbage cans and other large objects inside the house or garage. Secure boats and cars.

• Create a home inventory. Make a list of your possessions and their estimated value. 

In The News:

• Hawaii Public Radio: The Conversation: Storm Experiences (home inventory information at 29:40 mark of the program) Aug. 24, 2018

The Hurricane Hunter aircraft were on display as part of the National Weather Services’ (NWS) Hurricane Preparedness Week tour stop at McAllen, presented by the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes. Ruben, a State Farm agent in La Joya, Texas, was invited to attend to answer general questions about insurance preparations.

“When I told my wife we were going to attend this wonderful event I told her that they were bringing the planes to it, too,” Ruben says. “She said ‘I don’t think I would ever dare fly a plane into a hurricane.’ I told her, they don’t fly into them, they fly over them.”

Ruben was half-right.

The NWS uses the WC-130J Hercules, a high-wing, medium-range aircraft as a weather data collection platform that flies into storms and hurricanes, where it collects and reports weather data as often as every minute. It also uses a Gulfstream IV-SP (G-IV) jet that flies around and over developing tropical cyclones to create a detailed picture of the surrounding upper atmosphere.

“So I get there and I asked one of the Hercules crew members how high above the storm does he fly,” Ruben says. “And he said we fly right into it. I had egg on my face. I didn’t know. Everybody has something they can learn.”

The purpose of the tour, presented in part by the FLASH.org, was to educate and raise awareness about the threat of hurricanes as the June 1 opening of the Atlantic Ocean Basin hurricane season nears. Hurricane preparedness includes more than just storm shutters, an evacuation plan and a survival kit.

“A home is more than just a major financial investment. It provides families with shelter from the dangers of severe weather,” Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc. President and CEO Leslie Chapman-Henderson says. “Homeownership comes with many responsibilities, the most important of which is protecting the financial investment consumers have made in their homes.”

FLASH.org is promoting #HurricaneStrong, an initiative to promote wholesale preparation through education – which includes understanding storm danger, knowing evacuation routes, have a survival kit and ensuring you have adequate insurance to assist in financial recovery.

“State Farm agents at our stops on the tour are able to answer general questions from consumers and the media about mitigation steps before, during and after a natural disaster,” Leslie says. “We want to help ensure homes are as safe and strong as they can be, and that consumers better understand the role of insurance in protecting them and their belongings inside.”

Ruben has focused on educating consumers of the potential devastation of hurricanes and other storms.

“Hurricane Harvey was a big wake-up call for everybody,” says Ruben, whose community was spared the brunt of the storm last year. “So many people do not understand how insurance works. As State Farm agents, we have responsibility to help educate customers – even if they are not State Farm customers – on how serious the hurricane threat can be.”

And as Ruben learned when he attended the tour, even the experts have something to learn.

For more information on hurricane preparedness, visit the National Weather Service. Click here to find steps on How To Be #HurricaneStrong.

Across town from Jeff, friend and football Coach Robby Parish, spent Mother’s Day outside with his wife, daughter and son. The weather was nice, but the Parish’s knew strong storms were in the forecast.

“We are always aware. We talked a couple weeks (before) about where we would go [for safety],” said Parish.

A strong storm passed through Corsicana, Texas that evening less than 100 miles southwest from Van, but right on the town’s path. Robby was right: the electricity went out, setting alerts off their phones. So the Parish family took shelter.

“The kids weren’t scared, we were getting in our safe place just in case. We went into our son’s closet, huddled and listened to the rain,” shared Parish. “You know the storm is getting close, but you don’t know it’s going to hit your house.”

A Destructive Darkness

Then the tornado hit. According to the Parish family, it sounded like you were standing next to an airplane. When the family opened the front door, they didn’t yet register their home was destroyed.

“We’ve just had a tornado in Van,” a policyholder told State Farm Agent Johnny Thompson. “My roof is gone and I can’t see my neighbor’s house.”

Moore, a claims specialist, started helping his friends and policyholders late that night. He tirelessly wore two hats, “it’s probably been the most proud I’ve been [of Jeff],” said Team Manager Andy Barfield, “Jeff called me. He knew several homes and much of Van were destroyed.” Jeff and his wife represented State Farm and their community.

At one of the churches in town, Parish recalls residents emotionally embracing – even if they didn’t know each other well. Upon returning home the Parish family realized what they had survived.

“We closed the door and immediately prayed,” Parish said when he, his wife and their two young kids saw the only four walls still standing were the ones where they huddled; “God just saved us.”

The Rebuilding Process

The EF-3 tornado damaged about 30% of the town. Many homes, businesses and a school were destroyed.

By daylight, the following day, Agent Johnny Thompson and his wife were handing out water, Jeff was ready to go at a local church helping policyholders and Robby was trying to pick up what was left of his family’s belongings.

Robby was picking up the pieces when he recalls State Farm coming to him. Power and communications channels were down, so he hadn’t even contacted - or thought about - insurance when the estimate was written on his home to start the rebuilding.

“It’s good to know we backed our promise,” said Thompson “We were part of the rebuilding and it felt good.”

Live, Revived

The Parish family now lives in a newly constructed home on the same lot in Van. Their beautiful gray brick ranch has an open floor plan, stylish and modern finishes, and bedrooms designed by the kids. Their new house also features a concrete block shelter with a steel door, stylishly disguised as a bathroom near the side-entry garage.

Once in the home, a focal point that can be seen anywhere is a cross on the wall. The cross has colorful glass that catches the light and your eye. The few shattered dishes – family heirlooms recovered from the Parish home following the tornado were made into the cross. It serves as a reminder of what they lived through and the protection they had.

“People are resilient, some people have moved, some have rebuilt, but (leaving) was never a thought for us,” said Parish. “This is our home, we weren’t going to leave it.”

A hail research field study isn’t exactly anyone’s idea of romantic. Swapping candle lit dinners for life on the road chasing storms probably wouldn’t work for most couples. But Dr. Tanya Brown and Dr. Ian Giammanco are anything but conventional.

Dr. Tanya Brown is the lead research engineer and director of hail research for the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). She conducts a major field study on hailstorms with a team that includes lead research meteorologist Dr. Ian Giammanco.

In addition to their research, the pair also happens to be dating.

Giammanco and Brown met while attending graduate school at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX, where they worked on several thunderstorm and hurricane field research projects. Since then, amid week-long beef jerky binges and of course the storms, Giammanco and Brown found some common ground.

The Research

IBHS develops safety research that can be translated into real world solutions, and the hail study is no exception. Giammanco and Brown seek to improve weather forecasts and influence the design of roofing products to be better prepared for hail damage.

Their hope is to leverage this study to decrease property losses caused by hail. The the work is being done in the central plain region of the United States. They study hail characteristics such as size, shape, density and hardness, so they can come as close as possible to Mother nature when they produce hailstones at the IBHS Research Center.

Love at First Hail

According to Brown, “We definitely did not have a love at first site kind of relationship. We had known each other for at least a year before we really ever had a conversation more than just saying hi while passing in the hallway.”

At the time they met, years before the hail field study had begun, they realized they both had a passion for field research.

It takes a special kind of love not only to be research partners, but also life partners. Brown explains, “I’d say our dedication to field work is what really ties us together.”

Bonded by a common goal that will eventually benefit the common good , their relationship is the perfect blend of uniqueness. “There’s not a lot of people out there that will basically give up their whole life for weeks or even months at a time to live in crummy hotels and eat fast food every meal of every day, not to mention braving the wind, hail, rain and storm surge, and actually enjoy doing it and get to do it with their significant other,” says Brown.

Benefits of the Study

The pair remains motivated; they believe in the good that this study will be able to produce. According to IBHS, as the population increases and the spacing between buildings decrease, there has been a significant uptick in damage due to hailstorms. In fact, from 1999 to 2011 hail was the number one cause of losses for Texas homeowners coming in at $10.4 billion according to The Texas Department of Insurance.

State Farm supports the work of Dr. Brown and Dr. Giammanco and believes in the good that can come from this kind of research. Besides studying hail, researchers also test hail resistant roofing material in the hopes of preventing damage. The field study also seeks to improve weather forecast models and hail detection.

Ups and Downs

But working with a loved one isn’t always easy, “we do disagree sometimes about the project, but ultimately we will arrive at what is best for the project, and that is a big reason that we’ve been so successful,” Giammanco says.

Ultimately their differences complement each other, Giammanco explains, “Tanya makes sure that I let things go when I need to so that I don’t obsess about things like a missed forecast or not enough data.”

Brown explains further, “We have worked together for so long that we really have a natural rhythm, and each take advantage of each other’s strengths. There are a lot of things I don’t have to worry about taking care of because I know he’s got my back and vice-versa. It makes us really efficient and successful.”

The most difficult part of their nomadic relationship is having them both away from home at the same time, “there’s no one there to check the mail, water and cut the grass, and most importantly, take care of my beagles,” Brown says.

But they know they are meant to be together. “Tanya is the only girl I know who would swim and wade through storm surge water to retrieve instrumentation during a field project, so she is the girl for me!” Giammanco says.

The Impact

With all the good Brown and Giammanco hoped would come out of their studying of severe weather, love was not what they expected, but they’re glad it did. Even still, they remain dedicated and focused on their work, Brown says, “We definitely push each other to achieve success and fill in each other’s gaps, which makes us well-suited to tackling such a complex issue such as hail. We’re definitely looking forward to continuing our research partnership both in the field and in the lab, and look forward to making a huge impact in the coming years.”

The more successful the study is the better educated homeowners, insurance companies, and roofing manufacturers can be. With this knowledge and combined power, hailstorm damage can hopefully fall significantly.

2013 IBHS Hail Field Project Highlights from IBHS on Vimeo.

When nature takes a walk on the wild side, we realize how prepared we really are – or aren’t. Three families share their stories as well as what they’ve learned as they’ve recovered from their disastrous weather encounters.

Jack McDonald had been settled in his little corner of Ellensburg, Washington, for 17 years with his wife, their horses, their dogs and “the coolest gang of cats you ever saw,” he says. You might not think of the rain-soaked Pacific Northwest as at risk for wildfires, but they were on the edge of open range and had come close in the past. 

On August 13, 2012, his wife called. She could see the smoke and said, "We gotta get out of here.” Twenty minutes later the horses were loaded in a trailer and their dogs were in her car. He could see the fire in the distance. “The winds were horrendous – 60 miles per hour across the ridge – but it looked like it might miss us,” he recalled.

McDonald put the cats in their double-wide mobile home and was giving his wife a hand with the horses when he heard that the fire was spreading – and had changed course. “I came back up to my ranch, and it was clear that my house was in danger. I was going to go get the cats, but the fire chief stopped me. The fire had already swept in.” 

The McDonalds’ home burned down to the crawlspace, leaving nothing but ash. “Glassware and cookware had melted into puddles,” Jack recalls. “We recovered nothing”

They began replacing their belongings as soon as they could. That’s when insult added to injury. “I bought the minimum amount [of insurance] I could get, trying to save money,” McDonald admits. They’re living in a smaller rental now. “We had to cut back on a lot of things, like buying used furniture. I don’t mind used furniture, that’s not the point. What makes me sick is thinking of what’s irreplaceable.”

What To Do:

Wildfires can’t be predicted the way hurricanes or blizzards can. David Miskus, a drought-monitoring meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says overall, we’re expecting more intense dry spells, more warm spells. The closer your home is to the range or the brush, the more at risk you are.

• Clear away brush. It's a fire hazard. Instead of watering to maintain lush green areas, make sure to remove brush.
• Gravel is your friend. Create a buffer zone between your home and potential fires with strategically placed gravel and other rock.
• Don’t light fires during a burning ban. Sounds obvious – and yet again and again, wildfires begin when someone does this.

Don Frank was sitting in his law office on the ninth floor of a building in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts. This particular day several years ago started out hot and sunny. But it was turning peculiar. The view out his window was Frank’s first clue.

“Way out over the Berkshires I saw this cloud,” Frank remembers. “It was moving quickly. My office mates turned on the radio. We heard there was a crazy tornado situation coming through Massachusetts, but somehow the idea of being affected by a tornado seemed implausible.”

After all, tornadoes happen in big-sky and prairie country, and in the South - not in New England!

“I could see what was now clearly a tornado forming. It was coming right over the river, which is a block and a half from my office,” Frank recalls. “I still wasn’t worried, because we all know tornadoes never affect people in Springfield. I thought it might knock down power lines, and if I end up stuck someplace, I’d rather it be home.’”

What Frank did next was the opposite of what you should do during a tornado warning. He got into his car. He even offered his office mate a ride. “As we drove out of the parking lot, we came into very, very high winds – but I was still pretty sure nothing bad would happen to me!”

But bad things happen to everyone, no matter where they live, right when they least expect it.

“The tornado went up and over my car,” Frank says. “In a second my car was completely engulfed in debris. My office mate sort of slid down in her seat. I shut my eyes, and at that moment I heard a giant kaboom! My back window pulled out with the pressure differential. Stuff was blowing into my car. As fast as the tornado hit – literally three seconds – it left.”

Frank saw a steel girder from a building lying across the street about 20 feet from his car. He counts himself incredibly fortunate – he was unhurt and was even able to repair his car. But something shifted for him that day. After he got home he tried to shrug off the events of the afternoon and met some friends for a bike ride.

“We were just rolling out on our bikes when that same freaky tornado-like wind blew,” he says. “I was obviously reliving the trauma. Suddenly, I had barely enough strength to bike home.” He no longer operates under the assumption that bad things couldn’t happen to him.

What To Do:

Tornadoes can happen almost anywhere – even in New England. Tornadoes are hard to predict, and there is often too little time to get out of their way. Here are some wise precautions you can take.

• Get a good storm door. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has identified certain storm doors that can withstand 250-mile-per-hour winds. If you live in Tornado Alley - from the Rockies to Appalachians -  install one of those.
• Strengthen your garage. A garage door can be especially vulnerable during high winds. If your garage is attached, that spells trouble for your whole house. A reinforced, windowless door is your best bet. You also can install vertical bracing that helps to reinforce the door.
• Secure your windows. If you’ve heard you should open windows during a tornado, you’ve heard wrong. Instead, investigate DIY systems that clip plywood to your windows – no nailing necessary.
• Consider installing a safe room. If you live in an area prone to tornadoes, this might be the best move you can make. It won’t protect your home but will protect you and your family – and that’s what’s truly irreplaceable.

Patrick and Tammy Stewart's cross country move was wrenching. "We were leaving our first home. We had bought as a fixer-upper and I literally painted every single inch of every single wall,” Tammy says. “It was our first house, and we loved it.” But career opportunities beckoned, so in January 2010 the Stewarts rented out their beloved east coast home and drove across country to California.

Almost two years later, when they were between tenants, Tammy noticed news reports predicting a particularly bad East Coast storm. The Stewarts had several 70 year old trees on their property and feared something could go awry.

Sure enough, the morning the storm made landfall, Tammy got an email from her old neighbor. Tammy recalls the subject line said, "It’s not too bad!” Attached was a photo of a tree that had fallen. The neig

hbor described it tipping in slow-motion, right into the house.

The Stewarts panicked. “We were 3,000 miles away, and this was an emergency," Tammy recalls. "What were we going to do? We had to get the tree off the house to prevent further damage..and new tenants were arriving in just two days! The first thing we did was call State Farm, then the tree guy.”

Acting quickly, the Stewarts’ agent assessed the damage. The tree was chopped up and hauled away. A contractor came out to make sure the house was structurally sound. Thankfully, it was. The Stewarts were lucky. Really lucky because, as Tammy admits, they didn’t really know what was insured.

“We got the insurance we were supposed to have as property owners. We didn’t know what was actually in our policy,” she says, “What was covered, what wasn’t. I didn’t even know what our deductible was!”

Tammy is glad the event forced her and Patrick to become more informed. That tends to be the case for a lot of people. “You get what you’re supposed to get with the thought that nothing will really happen," Tammy said. "It was eye-opening. We were so lucky we had no flooding, because I know now we weren’t covered for that.”

In the midst of the hassle, the Stewarts haven’t lost sight of the silver linings. “We had never exercised our policy,” she says. “With State Farm it went really smoothly - even with us in California. We were surprised too, given the damage back [on the East Coast], that our relatively small claim was handled so quickly.”

What To Do:

Hurricanes and strong storms pack a major punch. It’s important to be prepared. As with any dangerous storm or peril, listen to and react appropriately to evacuation and/or safety messages delivered by local weather and law enforcement authorities.

• Prepare for high winds. Add window protection and reinforce entry and garage doors. Pull all lawn furniture, planters and garbage cans inside. Anything not tied down is a potential projectile.
• Stock up. Make sure you’ve got batteries, flashlights, and enough water and nonperishable food to last a few days. Fill large containers with water for washing and flushing, and gas up your vehicles.
• Look into flood insurance. If you don’t live in a floodplain, chances are you’re not covered for flooding. Most flood insurance is provided by the National Flood Insurance Program, not covered under standard homeowners policies.

Sadly, his small town community has faced tornadoes of historic proportions – two of those storms among the strongest ever recorded. His city, home to beautiful neighborhoods and thriving economic development, has earned the unfortunate distinction as the frequent target of killer tornadoes.

“By 2013 we were beginning to ask some questions of each other,” said Terry Cavnar, State Farm Agent and Moore City Council Member. “We can no longer ignore this. We can’t say this isn’t going to happen again because it continues to happen. So, we began to look at the options.”

In the past 15 years, the city of Moore has fallen victim to tornadoes on three separate occasions. In 1999, an EF-5 tornado swept through the community causing $1.2 billion in damage, and taking 40 lives. In 2003, an EF-4 devastated the town. Most recently in 2013, Moore faced a second EF-5, killing 24 and causing $2 billion in damage.

After each storm, Drake and other city officials were left to wonder what – if anything – they could do to better prepare their community for these catastrophic storms. After the 2013 storm, they decided to take action.

A Time To Act

The search for answers led to the formation of a special committee made up of council members, builders and citizens to re-examine building codes and ensure all new construction was best equipped to deal with extreme weather.

The committee called on Chris Ramseyer, Associate Professor-Civil Engineering at the University of Oklahoma to help in the planning effort. Even before the 2013 storm, Ramseyer had been studying the performances of residential structures in high-wind events and was very familiar with the city’s plight.

“I was here the next morning,” Ramseyer said of his hours following the 2013 tornado. Amongst the utter devastation, Ramseyer found what he was looking for. “We had a house with a slab essentially wiped clean. It was EF5 damage,” he said. But just seventy feet away, a home stood largely intact. The two homes were too close to have provided for much difference in wind speed, Ramseyer concluded that the structure must have saved the second home.

The committee developed their plan of attack and agreed all future homes needed to be practical, affordable and repeatable on a large scale.

“Chris looked at it from both structural integrity and also cost. The impact it would have on the cost of residential construction,” said Drake. “And I think the homebuilders bought into that, and they had confidence in him.”

Building Better AND Stronger

The result was to refine the building technique, rather than adding new materials. The new approach called for a change in the basic house framing, pushing builders and contractors to expand upon their normal approach. Longtime Moore builder, Tom Pollard notes,“ it’s not even a big cost issue, it’s just an educational process.”

“The biggest difference is in the framing,” said Cavnar. “With some more tie-ins, especially between the walls and the roofing, strengthening in your openings, framed openings, windows and doors.”

In addition to the added protection, there was more good news: The cost.

“Our research shows that you can do it for a cost of roughly a dollar a square foot,” said Ramseyer.

Drake and the committee are enthusiastic about this new approach as a means to protect, preserve and prepare the homes of Moore.

“We were ecstatic,” said Terry Cavnar. “We could do something that would withstand an F3 tornado, 135 miles an hour, for a minimal amount of cost. We were thrilled.”

And while the success of these measures will ultimately be born out in the coming tornado seasons, for now this process stands out as a great example of what can be accomplished when a community works together.

“This has been one of the easiest code changes I’ve been involved in,” said Drake. “I didn’t think that would be the case when we started this process, but it was.”