On the first day of the 2007 legislative session, the Windstorm Mitigation Study Committee published its final report analyzing mitigation efforts in Florida, including the My Safe Florida Home program, and detailing recommendations for future efforts to harden homes in Florida. 

The final report can be found at http://www.WindstormMitigationStudyCommittee.org.  

The committee was created as a result of House Bill 1A, passed by the Florida Legislature during Special Session.  The committee was charged with analyzing short- and long-term solutions and programs that address the need to immediately and effectively harden homes in Florida.  Copies of the report were delivered Tuesday to the Governor, Chief Financial Officer, Senate President, Speaker of the House and Insurance Commissioner. 

Specifically, the committee cited three reasons for the importance of mitigation in Florida: (1) mitigation helps reduce property losses from catastrophic storms; (2) homeowners are less likely to be charged assessments for catastrophic damage if losses are minimized; and (3) homes and businesses that are hardened are eligible for savings on their wind insurance premiums.  The committee’s recommendations fell into several categories, including: improving the My Safe Florida Home program, considering new approaches to advance mitigation, implementing insurance and construction reforms to encourage “code-plus” development, providing incentives to encourage home- hardening efforts by homeowners, identifying potential funding, educating and engaging the public about the importance of mitigation, and supporting research. 

Floridians can learn more about the My Safe Florida Home program and how they can harden their homes by visiting www.MySafeFloridaHome.com.