New Jersey, whose shore towns were battered, even devastated by Hurricane Sandy, comes in in 4th place in a new ranking of building codes in hurricane-prone states. My Central Jersey reports:
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has released the 2018 edition of its preeminent report, Rating the States, assessing the residential building code systems in 18 hurricane-prone states.
New Jersey scored the fourth highest amongst 18 Atlantic and Gulf Coast States this year, earning 90 out of 100 possible points. New Jersey was one of only four states that earned 90 or more points in the 2018 rating. Florida finished first with 95, Virginia was second with 94 and South Carolina placed third with 92. In the previous IBHS rating report, issued in 2015, New Jersey earned 89 points, also finishing fourth.
The release of the 2018 edition of Rating the States follows a disastrous year of storms in 2017, and is well-timed to inform discussion and action to improve building strength as communities repair or replace homes damaged by hurricanes last year. The 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1.
