Climate change is affecting us all with documented increases in severe weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, storm surges and drought. Because of this, there is an industry movement towards building fortified homes capable of standing up to the worst nature has to offer. Your biggest concern as a parent is keeping your family safe, and fortified home construction is a proven way to help ensure their safety.

What exactly is meant by "fortified" in terms of building a new home or reinforcing an older home? Fortified home construction refers to using materials and techniques in combination with one another to make your home stronger and more resilient as a shelter. For example, fortifying a roof using a special type of nail or fastening system, makes it less likely to blow off or collapse in a tornado or in the heavy winds and rains of a hurricane. Fortifying walls, doors and windows with stronger, more resilient materials makes it less likely that occupants will be injured or the home itself damaged by flying debris, breaking glass, driving rain, etc. Engineers have developed and tested materials and building techniques that work together to achieve these goals.

To this end, the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) has developed a "Fortified Home" program that uses a unique, systems-based method for creating stronger and more resilient homes. Under the program, there are three levels of fortified home designations available: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Each builds upon the other, so if a homeowner chooses the Gold designation, he also receives the protections afforded by the bronze and silver designations. Choose the desired level of protection that is right for your budget and work with your builder on achieving those resilience goals.

• The Bronze Level - Addresses fortifying a home's roof to protect against water and wind damage.
• The Silver Level - Goes a step further by fortifying the home's walls, windows, doors and attached structures.
• The Gold Level- Ties everything together -- roof, to walls and openings, to foundation, to reach the highest level of fortification to protect against extreme weather, fire, and more.

Using fortified building materials and methods is a smart decision in protecting everything that makes your house a home against whatever Mother Nature can throw at you.

Contact a FORTIFIED Wise™- Associate from Fox Blocks to help keep your family safe.