An insurance group reports Maine is falling behind in preparing for hurricanes.
The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety has issued its 5th "Rating The States" survey. It found Maine is now 14th among the 18 East Coast and Gulf Coast states that are at risk from the big storms. Its rating has slipped since 2012, when the Institute first rated the states.
The institute's Managing Director of Standards and Analytics, Dr. Ian Giammanco, says since then, there have been two revisions to building standards that Maine has failed to adopt. Among the newer requirements: sealed roof decks.
Giammanco says they offer, "protection from water intrusion should your roof cover get damaged in high winds." He adds, "this is something that not just plays in hurricanes, but Nor'easter events which are producing gusts of 60, 70, maybe 80 mph."
The Institute says Virginia is ranked first among the states, Florida second. When it surveyed 455 homes in Florida, covered by the most modern building standards, it found none suffered any structural damage in Hurricane Ian that struck the area in 2022.
The institute's rankings take into account building codes, education of building officials and licensing of contractors. Giammanco says Maine falls short in those latter two areas.
