How Alabama takes on storms with ‘Fortified’ homes 20 years after Hurricane Ivan

GULF SHORES, Ala. ( WKRG ) — A storm no one could fully prepare for. Twenty years ago on Monday, Baldwin County felt the wrath of Hurricane Ivan.

“There was like, nothing left. It was all just so much destruction,” State Representative Donna Givens said. “Meters along the beach, you would find in Stapleton, Alabama, if you found them. The beach was destroyed, a lot of homes.”

The storm caused an estimated $14 billion in damages, and thousands of homes were damaged.

Following Hurricane Ivan, Smart Home Alabama and the Alabama Department of Insurance saw the need for a solution to prevent devastation in future storms. That’s what sparked the idea of building a “Fortified” home.

“The biggest thing it does is it makes sure that if all of the shingles blew off of your roof, the water can’t get into your house,” Smart Home America President and CEO Julie Shiyou-Woodard said.

The Fortified construction guidelines can help homeowners reduce the risk of damage from severe weather damage.

“That sense of peace, you just can’t put a price on that,” Woodard said.

There are now 50,000 Fortified homes across Alabama.

“Hurricane Ivan taught us that Fortified was the way we were going to have to go to make sure we could protect lives and livelihoods down here in the coast,” Alabama Department of Insurance Commissioner Mark Fowler said.

Gulf Shores homeowner Jason Meadows said that when Hurricane Sally hit the Gulf Coast, the storm damaged none of the homes in his neighborhood. All of the homes were built by the Fortified Gold standard of construction.

“We were a bit nervous when Sally came ashore. It was early in the morning, and our neighbors went over to our home and basically said that there was no damage,” Meadows said. “No, no damage whatsoever. It was a relief.”

After Hurricane Sally, 95% of the Fortified homes in coastal Alabama saw little to no damage in the storm.

“It was literally a night and day,” Woodard said. “You were either in a Fortfied home and had no damage to speak of or you were not and you have a lot of water intrusion, if you had water damage to the roof.”

Fowler said that if one lives near the coast, having a Fortified home can also reduce their insurance premium.

“When the storm hits, you’re better protected to survive the storm, and that’s very attractive to an insurance company,” Fowler said. “The Fortified program allows Alabamians to build stronger lives, safer and recover quicker.”

For more information on Fortified homes, visit their website .

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