August 04, 2011
By: Bruce Berry
A new university study indicates minor structural improvements to property dwellings may have led to fewer people filing Alabama homeowners insurance claims earlier this year.
According to researchers from the University of Alabama, things like better shingles on roofs, thicker siding and stronger anchors may have spared several residents living in Tuscaloosa significant levels of damage.
Andy Graettinger, one of the study's primary researchers, said the way in which most homes in the area are currently constructed means they are no match for severe tornadoes.
"Light-frame wood structures will not be able to withstand the EF4 and EF5 forces in the direct center path of a storm," said Graettinger. "But the areas on the edges of a storm could see dramatic improvements in safety and overall structure through better engineering design and construction practices."
Graettinger and his team of researchers arrived at their conclusions after inspecting approximately 150 homes that were destroyed by the twister that touched down in Tuscaloosa on April 27.
Thousands of homeowners insurance claims have been filed in 2011, a year forecasters are describing as "the year of the tornado."
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- Thousands of St. Louis insurance claims cite recent hail damage May 22, 2012
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