Bermuda reinsurer RenaissanceRe last week won an award from the National Hurricane Conference as one of the sponsors of the StormStruck exhibit at the Walt Disney World resort.

Since the exhibit opened at Epcot last August, hundreds of thousands of people have passed through StormStruck, which allows visitors to experience the power of a severe storm and gives advice on protecting themselves and their properties against extreme weather.

At the conference in Austin, Texas, last Thursday, StormStruck's sponsors won the Outstanding Achievement Award for Mitigation "in recognition of their innovation and achievement in public awareness and mitigation advocacy".

Keil Gunther, RenaissanceRe's director of marketing, was among those recognised for their contributions to the project, along with Jamie France, of State Farm, and Phillip Burton, of Simpson Strong-Tie.

"I was honoured to be one of the many people who contributed towards the extraordinary success of StormStruck, and am delighted it has been recognised by the National Hurricane Conference," Ms Gunther said. "By supporting pioneering mitigation initiatives like StormStruck and visionary outreach organisations like FLASH (the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes), RenaissanceRe hopes to advance disaster preparedness and foster more resilient communities in which the economic impact of severe weather is minimised."

In Austin to collect the award, Ms Gunther added: "I've heard great feedback from the many weather experts and first responders who have seen the attraction."

Disney were reporting that their Spring Break attendance was high. "StormStruck has seen a huge number of guests each day and touched many lives, so we are certainly succeeding in getting our message of disaster preparedness across," Ms Gunther added.

StormStruck is designed to be fun, but with a serious message. It illustrates how simple features, such as roof ties and storm shutters, can enormously improve a home's chances of surviving a major storm relatively intact, thereby protecting the lives of those inside.

The push towards "retrofitting" homes has been backed by insurance industry groups including the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR), as well as environmental groups and some US lawmakers.

"Through collaboration across public and private organisations, I'm confident we can continue to positively influence the lives and communities in coastal areas," said Mr. France, State Farm's property and casualty underwriting manager.

Phil Burton, vice-president of construction firm Simpson Strong-Tie, said: "StormStruck is helping educate families about the steps they can take to make their homes safer and stronger. Through this exhibit, we are helping people understand how their homes are built and how they can be reinforced to ensure they are protected."

FLASH chief executive officer and president Leslie Chapman-Henderson added: "StormStruck represents a milestone in the disaster safety movement and could not have been possible without exceptional support from our partners."