May 15, 2020

This article was originally published as an “Insurance News Item” by the Alabama Department of Insurance on May 14, 2020.

The Alabama Department of Insurance announces the Mitigation Resources Division, a new division dedicated to supporting risk reduction against natural disasters for both policyholders and insurance companies. The division, directed by Brian Powell, is the result of a reorganization of the Strengthen Alabama Homes Division.

The Mitigation Resources Division will house the Strengthen Alabama Homes program, the Flood Insurance and Mitigation Section, the Community Mitigation and Resiliency Section and the Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Section. The Division’s top priority will be helping focus Alabama’s mitigation and resiliency efforts, working cooperatively with other state and local agencies, as well as numerous stakeholders from a variety of fronts.

“This represents a serious elevation in the level of priority and importance within the Alabama Department of Insurance in supporting the promotion of mitigation and resiliency issues in our state,” Insurance Commissioner Jim Ridling said. Alabama leads the nation in mitigation, with more than 18,000 homes built to the Institute for Business and Home Safety Fortified standard.

“The creation of the Mitigation Resources Division further underscores our commitment to the people of Alabama that we are working every day to make our state a safer place to live and work,” said Director Brian Powell. “We are taking a holistic approach so that we are mitigating ahead of the storm, enhancing our ability to quickly recover after the storm.”