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“TO DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM” IHC 2007 Hazard Risk Reduction through Stronger Partnerships and Alliances Steve Lyons The Weather Channel A Hurricane Resistant Society… “To Dream The Impossible Dream”
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“TO DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM” IHC 2007 Hazard Risk Reduction through Stronger Partnerships and Alliances Steve Lyons The Weather Channel
A Hurricane Resistant Society… “To Dream The Impossible Dream” • Barrier Islands as National Seashores • Flood/surf zones as golf courses, nature walk-ways, recreation areas, preserves and dunes • Hurricane proof homes and buildings • Mobile homes with safety features no different than fixed residences • Minimal Number of Hurricane Evacuees • A power grid impervious to hurricane winds • Rapid hurricane recovery program for all U.S. coasts • The $10 million instead of $10 billion dollar hurricane!
THE BASIC PROBLEM THERE ARE MANY DIVERSE “PLAYERS” Diverse local & state governments Diverse coastal populations Competitive insurance industry Competitive building industry Competitive retail sales industry Competitive power & light industry Competitive media industry
THE BASIC PROBLEM • SELF INTEREST AND MONEY • How do you convince “everyone” that they can thrive and reduce hurricane risk at the same time? • CAN THEY?
NEW vs OLD BUILDINGS • While nothing in Florida requires that homes already in place before 1999 be upgraded… …the legislature five years ago set aside money to retrofit homes installed earlier. The roughly $2.5 million-a-year fund, which gets money generated by insurance premiums…
BASIC PROBLEM-Florida Housing Census(U.S. 2000 Census) • YEAR BUILT # % • 1999 to March 2000 214,120 2.9 • 1995 to 1998 674,760 9.2 • 1990 to 1994 768,470 10.5 • 1980 to 1989 1,916,430 26.2 • 1970 to 1979 1,686,263 23.1 • 1960 to 1969 934,219 12.8 • 1940 to 1959 899,664 12.3 • 1939 or earlier 209,020 12.9
THE SAD PART TO “OUR” PROBLEM • Nearly everyone involved already knows how they could reduce “Hazard Risk”…mitigation is no different than medical insurance…few would NOT take it…if it were free!
MOBILE HOMES & FEMA TRAILERS • Manufactured homeowners can be vulnerable to the threats of high winds... use the following safety tips to bolster home safety…(FLASH) • Yet the state with the most mobile homes is, you guessed it, Florida!(U.S. Census)
Across the state (Florida) there are more than 600,000 mobile homes that do not meet “present standards”.(AP ’07)LOUISIANA KATRINA TRAILER AFTER TORNADO • LADY LAKE, Fla. - It became clear as recovery workers sifted through rubble and collected the dead: All 20 victims of three central Florida tornados last week lived in mobile homes. (AP)
U.S. “Small Business” Administration • The SBA provides various types of loans for businesses of all sizes and homeowners and renters in the event of a disaster…to replace personal property, repair & replace damage to aprimary residence.(SBA) • The loan may be increased by as much as 20 percent to protect the property against future disasters of the same type.(SBA) • Story 2/19/’07- “Big Business” capitalizing on small business administration program…
AMAZING STORY 2/20/07 • Power Restored For Hurricane Victim After 15 Years (CBS)CUTLER BAY, Fla. An elderly woman living without power since Aug. 24, 1992 finally seeing the light Friday night. Unscrupulous contractor...
Private Sector & Public Greed? • CorpWatch details; corporate price gouging, contracting pyramid schemes, labor abusesand unnecessary delays in the wake of last year’s hurricane season. • The "disaster profiteers," as CorpWatch calls them, include…. all of which have also received federal contracts for work in Iraq.
Hurricane Relief Scams… SEPT. 14, OF THE 4,000 (WEB)SITES CLAIMING TO OFFER HELP TO KATRINA VICTIMS, THE FBI BELIEVES UP TO 60% ARE LIKELY BOGUS! (American Red Cross)
Many gas stations that had fuel were without electricity, and others that had power ran out of supplies.“This is like the Third World," said Claudia Shaw, who spent several hours in a gas line.We have hurricanes here nearly every year. Where is the planning?“Many of those in line still had about half a tank of gas…but were determined to fill up in case of fuel shortages. (CNN.com)
Existing Homes- Hurricane Mitigation • I have never met a person that would not make their home more hurricane proof… “IF” it were free! • Are there enough government or insuranceincentives to motivate people to mitigate? • MY SAFE FLORIDA HOME, ETC.
Florida Division of Emergency ManagementWelcome to the Florida Wind Insurance Incentives Web Site! ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Florida statute enacted in 2002 requires all insurance companies to provide discounts on the hurricane wind portion of insurance premiums for wind resistant features…homeowners are unaware of the discounts. York estimates less than 1 percent of all Florida homeowners are receiving proper discounts. BUSINESS WIRE, May 16, 2005)
A Personal Story That Shocked Me! • A good friend had roof damage during hurricane Wilma. With his insurance claim and “extra money of his own”, he replaced his roof with one that exceeded the required south Florida code…it won’t blow off! • His home wind insurance rate increased… ”because the cost to replace his roof (home value) went up!”
Steve’s Insurance Industry Forecast • 10 years ago I predicted that the insurance industry would force the hurricane prone population to mitigate…in order to keep insurance rates reasonable/affordable and keep the insurance industry healthy. • It hasn’t happened yet! Now some money people did have to mitigate goes toward recurrent & rising wind/flood insurance costs. Insurance companies continue to shed high risk customers!
THE PUBLIC KNOWS WHAT THEY SHOULD DO! Many cannot afford to do it, others won’t spend their money on an accident that might befall them some day. Many think that their insurance policy will build them a new home should it be wiped out by a hurricane…a band-aid that does not prevent the cut!
Rebuilding After a Hurricane The cost to repair the (Superdome) roof has been put at $32 million dollars. (2006 AP) They completed the rebuilding of the roof of the Superdome. It took nearly 10 months and cost $200 million dollars. (Trent Stamp, president of Charity Navigator) Fixing with band-aids can end up far more expensive than preventing the cut!
Housing Options • Most People buy/rent/lease what is available and affordable for them, old or new, hurricane proof or not. • Options are dictated by builders, the codes builders follow and inspections of structures built to those codes!
Hurricane Resistant Home Before & After Charlie 2004 -Douglas Rd(tested to 200 mph)Before After Home Front Inc.- built for the Charlotte Homeless Coalition
Because evacuation shouldn't Be your only option!
A Hurricane Resistant Society… “To Dream The Impossible Dream” • Barrier Islands as National Seashores • Flood/surf zones as golf courses, nature walk-ways, recreation areas, preserves and dunes • Hurricane proof homes and buildings • Mobile homes with safety features no different than fixed residences • Minimal Number of Hurricane Evacuees • A power grid impervious to hurricane winds • Rapid hurricane recovery program for all U.S. coasts • The $10 million instead of $10 billion dollar hurricane!
Stronger Partnerships and Alliances • Alliances withHazard Risk Reduction as a priority? Don’t hand out band-aids, prevent the cuts! • Every industry needs to universally adopt “Hazard Risk Reduction” practices that work. If not where is the motivation to change? • Who will initiate this? Should it/can it come from government? Will it come out of economic necessity? • Certainly much of the thought, effort and money currently used for disaster relief must instead be invested in disaster prevention!
