For Immediate Release:
August 11, 2025
New Storm Data Reveals Effectiveness of the Oklahoma Insurance Department’s Fortified Roof Program, Saving Homeowners Millions
OKLAHOMA – A first-of-its-kind study from the University of Alabama, commissioned by the Alabama Department of Insurance, showed that homeowners with FORTIFIED homes are better protected from hurricanes than with standard construction. FORTIFIED Standards are used to mitigate homes as part of the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) Strengthen Oklahoma Homes grant program.
“The findings in this report demonstrate the impact upgrading to a FORTIFIED roof can have in the face of natural disasters,” said Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready. “I’m glad we are providing this level of protection to Oklahomans through the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes program.”
The peer-reviewed study, conducted by the University of Alabama’s Center for Risk and Insurance Research, analyzed the real-life effectiveness of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) FORTIFIED mitigation program, a voluntary construction and re-roofing standard designed to strengthen and protect homes from high winds and heavy rain, during Hurricane Sally, a Category 2 storm that made landfall in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in September 2020.
“Hurricane Sally was the first real-life test of FORTIFIED roofs outside of a lab,” said Ashley Scott, OID Deputy Commissioner of External Affairs and director of the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes program. “The data shows how mitigation can save homeowners in the long run and help protect them from disasters.”
Eighty-six insurance companies responded to a data call from the Alabama Department of Insurance, including a handful of non-admitted carriers who voluntarily provided data. Key findings include:
- Claim severity of FORTIFIED homes decreased by 15% to 40%. Claim severity is the total amount of claims paid divided by the number of claims paid.
- FORTIFIED, at all levels studied, reduced loss frequency by at least 55% and as much as 74%. Loss ratio, defined as losses divided by premiums, also decreased by between 51% and 72%.
- When combining the reductions in claim frequency and claim severity, the FORTIFIED system reduced deductibles paid by policyholders by more than 60%.
“Perhaps the most important finding in the data call study is that our results match the laboratory tests and modeled outcomes,” said Dr. Lars Powell, Director of the Center for Risk and Insurance Research at the University of Alabama. “Going forward, we can have more confidence in the tools we use to price mitigation discounts, without having to experience another terrible loss.”
The Alabama Department of Insurance launched its Strengthen Alabama Homes program in 2012 to offer financial assistance to qualified homeowners to assist with the cost of retrofitting their homes. Alabama is now home to 53,000 IBHS-certified FORTIFIED homes.
OID’s Strengthen Oklahoma Homes program, OKReady, will allocate up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) in grant funds per approved household. The grant funding will help consumers pay for the approved construction projects that will fortify homes pursuant to the IBHS FORTIFIED Home—Roof™ —High Wind designation with the Hail Supplement. Grant funds will be paid to the contractor on behalf of the homeowner after receiving the IBHS FORTIFIED Certification.
Applications for the third and final pilot program of 2025 are now open. Selected zip codes can be found here.
Check out www.oid.ok.gov/OKReady for eligible zip codes, document requirements, income tiers, and other resources. If you have questions about the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Program or application process, please email the team at okready@oid.ok.gov.
Read the full University of Alabama report here.