Virginia and Florida were the top-ranked states in a recent report examining the adoption of suitable building codes by hurricane-prone states.

The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) awarded both states a rating of 95 in recognition of their work implementing the safest building codes of the 18 states examined. Virginia scored slightly lower in contractor licensing, but higher in code enforcement by officials.

The two states were evenly matched in the third category, which judged the building codes themselves by adoption, universality and the strength of the provisions. This overall top performance is a strong sign for Virginia business insurance and other coverage, since appropriate building codes can minimize damages and repair costs.

The IHBS report is the first of its kind, so comparisons to previous years are not possible. Aside from the potential of appropriate codes to minimize property damages and losses, having certified contractors and knowledgeable officials may serve to ease repair efforts after disasters, since professionals with appropriate expertise would be available.

Companies should review their business insurance policies to determine whether they have sufficient coverage against natural disaster losses, and review the risk hurricanes pose to their business. This may include factors such as the ability to operate after a disaster and problems with data loss as well as direct property losses.