Every $1 Spent in Hurricane Protection Lowers Property Loss Exposure by $105

Every $1 a business spends on hurricane protection reduces loss exposure by an average of $105.

That’s based on an analysis by global commercial and industrial property insurer firm FM Global, which reviewed loss and mitigation information from thousands of clients around the world.

“Businesses often wonder if they are getting a good return when they invest in preventing hurricane-related wind and flood damage,” said Brion Callori, senior vice president, engineering and research manager, for the company. “This analysis has yielded a pretty convincing answer. And the 1-to-105 ratio doesn’t even reflect the business repercussions of a major hurricane loss such as damage to reputation, market share and shareholder value.”

FM Global tallied an estimate for over 10,000 wind and flood related investments and their associated reduction in property loss and business disruption exposure for 1,800 clients around the world from 2008 to 2017. These estimates are calculated based on actual losses that have occurred at tens of thousands of properties insured by FM Global.

Actions to Take

Businesses in hurricane-prone areas can expect a one-two-punch of wind and water and all should consider cost-effective prevention as the 2018 hurricane season begins, according to the insurer. Some things to consider:

• To help minimize the effects of costly wind damage, organizations should have backup power generators ready, rooftops inspected and secured, doors braced, windows covered, and vulnerable objects put away or strapped down, including rooftop equipment and solar panels.
• Businesses can prevent costly flood damage by elevating or sealing off valuable equipment, fastening storage tanks, inspecting fire protection equipment, and preparing to turn off utilities. Flood protection products that meet rigorous certification testing standards can reduce the need for sandbags.
• Any business exposed to flood risk should invest in developing and practicing a flood emergency response plan. Facilities with well-organized flood emergency response plans have nearly 70 percent less damage, and resume operations sooner than those with no plan or an inadequate one, FM Global loss history has shown.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Profit Loss Flood Hurricane Property