Building a More Resilient Louisiana: A Hurricane Katrina Case Study
When Hurricane Katrina ravaged the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005, it caused unfathomable damage. However, much of the wind damage throughout Louisiana could have been reduced if stronger building codes were in place. This case study summarizes the lessons learned following Hurricane Katrina and the steps taken by IBTS staff to develop and maintain new building codes in order to lessen the burden of the eleven parishes most acutely affected by the hurricane.
Homes built to the new code were 65% less likely to sustain damage during hurricanes, according to a study by the Louisiana University Hurricane Center. The State no longer appears on USA Today’s Top Ten list of storm damage between 2011 and 2015. Louisiana has gained another point on the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s Rate the States and now stands at 83 for 2018 – 79 points higher than pre-Katrina.
Click the link below to read the full case study:
Building a More Resilient Louisiana: A Hurricane Katrina Case Study