New Orleans Insurance

One year after Hurricane Andrew’s record $ 25 billion parameters toben, coastal areas along the east coast and the Gulf Coast are in the hearts of hurricane season with a new respect for nature, anger, but with little change aimed at reducing Killer effects of the next storm.

After 30 years during which the value of property in the regions of the hurricane was at least 600 per cent, and in an era that many experts say the nation is moving over a period of softness unusual hurricane activity in a severe hurricanes are probably too often, Hurricane Andrew drew attention to such storms as nothing for decades.

The question is whether the storm caused that changes in areas such as South Florida, where the greatest destruction, or in areas such as New Orleans, which was largely spared. So far, results appear mixed. But for the 44 million people live near the nation is in danger of hurricane and golf coast, the answer could come soon, given that almost all the biggest hurricanes of the nation for 50 days a period of beginning August 20 about a bowl of soup vulnerable

And no urban area is in greater risk of a hurricane dampfenden large bowl of soup this city - six metres below sea level and a large mirror of water - where the continuing winds and lakes übervolle many cases, ’s of the metropolitan area of 1.2 million people from 20 meters under water.

Because of this danger and a history of results and near lack of foresight hurricane is nothing new in New Orleans. In December last year, officials from $ 30 million, 8.2 miles of flood walls along Lake Pontchartrain to protect the city, and work is underway in a barrage of $ 91 million for the protection of neighbours Jefferson Parish.

Some experts say that this hurricane season starts with a level of federal commitment to Hurricane mitigate somewhat different from that of decades.

“Andrew has changed everything,” said William M. Gray, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Colorado State University, Hurricane activity each year. This year it is the name Storm Prediction 11, two of them intense category 3, 4 or 5 storms, driven by a hurricane of the season in 1991 or 1992, but near the average of activity Over the last 43 years.

Hurricane Andrew, of whom about 10 miles south of downtown Miami with wind speeds up to 165 miles per hour last August 24, claimed 30 lives, destroyed or damaged 85,000 houses and 250000 people left homeless . After crossing southern Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, met the coast of Louisiana, with the eye of the hurricane about 90 km south-west of New Orleans. An agent of change

Record setting attendance at conferences to Hurricane renewed focus on the development of codes, there are clear signs that Hurricane Andrew got the nation’s attention.

Last year, the devastation has increased pressure for changes in the Federal Republic Flood Insurance Program, a problem exacerbated by the more widespread in the Midwest floods this summer. For the first time, Florida has an emergency plan to manage trust funds for emergency preparedness and assistance. And an insurance group is developing national standards, insurance rates tie to the construction and local implementation of the federal code.

But it is much more concerned by the fact that the sense of urgency in preparing hurricane is directly related to proximity, as a community, it was the heart of Hurricane Andrew. Remote and self-satisfaction

“Only isolation, seems zugreife, actions,” said Tim Marshall, an engineering consultant Hague, in Dallas. “But as far as on southern Florida, the closer you are to return self-satisfaction “.

There is no doubt that Hurricane Andrew’s South Florida changed its construction. P. Herbert Saffir, a civil engineer in the development of the scale Saffir-Simpson measuring the strength of the hurricane, said the field of construction standards have been considerably strengthened.

For the first time, the changes have created new standards for the protection of works against flying debris. These are new standards for materials on roofs and windows and shutters and cast concrete columns, concrete industrial buildings. And there are more stringent requirements and prohibitions set by staples and bans on certain building materials.