National Meeting NewsCIPR Event: ‘From Hurricane and Severe Convective Storm Mitigation to Wildfire Resilience: Lessons Learned’Mar. 20, 2026

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 20, 2026) CIPR Event: ‘From Hurricane and Severe Convective Storm Mitigation to Wildfire Resilience: Lessons Learned’ On March 23, during the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) 2026 Spring National Meeting, the NAIC’s Center for Insurance Policy and Research (CIPR) will host a special event discussing how alignment among mitigation science, insurance markets, and regulatory frameworks has improved insurability, reduced losses, and enhanced community resilience to wildfire and wind hazards. Ongoing catastrophe risk events—whether wildfire, hurricane, or severe convective storms—continue to put pressure on the availability and affordability of property insurance across the United States. CIPR’s Catastrophe Risk Management Center of Excellence (CAT COE) plays a critical role in supporting and amplifying state insurance regulators’ mitigation efforts in the face of these challenges by serving as a convening and knowledge-sharing hub for insurance regulators nationwide. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) FORTIFIED™ program has emerged as a nationally recognized standard for strengthening homes against high-wind and severe weather hazards such as severe convective storms, delivering measurable reductions in damage, insurance losses, and post-disaster disruption. Through data analysis, policy coordination, and cross-state collaboration, the CAT COE helps translate IBHS research and mitigation standards into regulatory awareness, best practices, and consumer-facing resilience strategies. The most widespread strategy is the implementation of state-based mitigation grant programs. This integration strengthens alignment among mitigation science, insurance markets, and regulatory frameworks, enabling broader adoption of mitigation grant programs that recognizes the IBHS FORTIFIED™ program for wind as the standard for mitigation. The event will be open to both in-person and virtual meeting attendees. For registration information, please visit the NAIC’s Meetings and Events page . Panelists Ricardo Lara Commissioner California Department of Insurance Grace Arnold Commissioner Minnesota Department of Commerce Amy Bach Executive Director United Policyholders Steve Hawks Senior Director for Wildfire Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety Moderator Brian Powell Catastrophe Risk Resilience Advisor CIPR Catastrophe Risk Management Center of Excellence About the National Association of Insurance Commissioners As part of our state-based system of insurance regulation in the United States, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) provides expertise, data, and analysis for insurance commissioners to effectively regulate the industry and protect consumers. The U.S. standard-setting organization is governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. Through the NAIC, state insurance regulators establish standards and best practices, conduct peer reviews, and coordinate regulatory oversight. NAIC staff supports these efforts and represents the collective views of state regulators domestically and internationally.