Is Louisiana ready for hurricane season? The report shows how preparedness is

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — A new report from The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Security shows how ready Louisiana is for the 2024 hurricane season compared to other states.

Louisiana Ranked No. 5 in Reportclimbing into the Top 5 for the first time, with a score of 91. The report identifies Louisiana as one of the two most improved states.

The report said points were gained after the state decided to require code-specific training for its building code officials.

“Louisiana updated its code for the 2021 IRC after operating on the 2015 IRC for the last two editions of Rating the States. The State uniformly enforces the code,” according to the report.

THE State Rating Report 2024 found that while some states are working to ensure homes are resilient, some are still at risk. The report analyzes the adoption, enforcement and licensing of building code contractors in 18 states.

Louisiana still has progress to make. The report suggests the state consider requiring continuing education courses for electrical, mechanical and roofing contractors as part of licensing requirements.

The states in the top three spots in the report are Virginia, Florida and South Carolina.

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety describes itself as “an independent, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) scientific research and communications organization supported by property insurers, reinsurers and affiliates.”

Researchers predict a “extremely active” hurricane season. According to data from Colorado State University researchers, the Atlantic basin could experience a total of 23 named storms, 11 of which are hurricanes.

The season officially begins on June 1st. Authorities are urging people to prepare now before a possible storm.

State owners can apply for the Fortified House Program in Louisianawhich provides up to $10,000 for roof renovations to protect homes from strong hurricane winds.

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