After nearly two decades of paralysis on the issue, Mississippi officials are close to creating a state natural disaster mitigation program to protect residents from natural disasters. Storm preparedness experts say such a program is vital to building resilience as risks from climate change continue to grow.
Senate Bill 2409which would create a Mississippi Home Improvement Program, heads to Gov. Tate Reeves for consideration after both chambers approved the measure on Wednesday.
In a Three-part series Last year, Mississippi Today published a report on the state’s massive vulnerability to climate change, which some researchers said is greater than anywhere else in the country.
The program will provide grants of up to $10,000 to allow homeowners to retrofit their properties to better protect them from hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and other storm damage. The money will go toward upgrading roofs to comply with fortified standards set by the Insurance Institute for Commercial and Home Safety.
Alabama, which leads the nation in fortified homes, released a study last year showing Significant decrease In losses from homes that were cushioned against other homes after Hurricane Sally in 2020. In addition to making homes safer, the grant also helped reduce home insurance costs. Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Mississippians, especially on the coast, have been struggling with this problem Experienced higher premiums Insurance companies also bear the risks of natural disasters.
“I want to thank (legislators) for their work in coming together on a mitigation program that puts us on equal footing with other coastal states that have successful mitigation programs like Alabama and Louisiana,” state Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said in a statement Wednesday, adding that his office is committed to “improving the long-term resiliency of Mississippi homeowners.”
Single-family primary residence homes anywhere in Mississippi will be eligible for the grants. The home should have storm insurance, and if it’s in a flood zone, it should have flood insurance as well. The Mississippi Department of Insurance, which will administer the program, will fund the grants through fees collected from insurance agents. The department’s appropriations bill, which the governor is considering, would allow up to $15 million to be spent for the program from fees collected.
State officials first developed the program in 2007 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. But because of A Lack of political will and infighting among state officials, it took until 2024 for the Legislature to be able to fund the program. However, that approval was limited to a pilot program, and lawmakers declined to re-increase funding in 2025.
The main point of contention was whether to allow the Insurance Department to run the program or put it in the hands of a separate non-profit authority. Mississippi Today reported that the lack of trust between lawmakers and Cheney dates back to a 2016 scandal over funding that the state could not explain, which went through a different state agency.
However, while the Department of Insurance should not administer the program, lawmakers also pointed to Alabama’s mitigation program as a prime example. Alabama runs its program through its state insurance division, and experts, such as those at Smart Home America and Habitat for Humanity on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, say the program largely reflects what Cheney pushed for.
Sen. Scott Delano, a Republican from Biloxi who has led the Legislature’s work on the issue, repeatedly called out Chaney last year over a lack of information and concerns with the Insurance Department, which administers the grant fund. In the lead-up to this legislative session, the two were able to work through their differences, Delano said.
“I must commend the commissioner for the job he has done,” the senator told his colleagues in the room on Wednesday.
The measure was introduced by Sen. Walter Michel, a Republican from Ridgeland.
“We have been playing hurricane roulette for too long with mitigation work,” Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said after the Senate approved the proposal. “Many homes across Mississippi will need what you did today.”
The proposal would also create an advisory committee that would meet with the insurance department about the program three times a year. The committee will consist of three Senate appointees, three House appointees, and the executive director of the Mississippi Insurance Underwriters Association.
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This story was originally published by Mississippi Today It is distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.