Munich Re, IBHS Launch Tablet App for Homeowners

Munich Re, US, has partnered with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) to launch a new tablet app designed to help property owners build stronger homes to protect against severe weather and natural disasters.

The application, FORTIFIED Home On the Go, walks homeowners, contractors and architects through the home strengthening process. Both videos and animations are used to provide information on technical specifications for building and retrofitting single-family households. Instructions provided in the app are based on IBHS’ FORTIFIED Home program.

“The public is seeing first-hand what staggering losses can be wreaked by severe weather,” said Carl Hedde, head of risk accumulation, Munich Re, US, who is leading the app’s launch.

As examples, Hedde cites more than $60 billion in insured losses after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and almost $30 billion in insured losses following Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

“The FORTIFIED Home On the Go app is an educational tool designed to help individuals and communities build more resilient structures,” he said. “This is something everyone can learn from and use to help make their homes more resistant to the effects of the dramatic weather events we are experiencing.”