The fear of all the terrible tornadoes and hurricanes that we have been seeing has apparently scared homeowners more than any Hollywood disaster movie.

The National Association of Home Builders reported that six years after the burst of the housing bubble, homeowners are now starting to re-enter the world of home remodeling. These projects can range in size from $100,000 to $150,000. However, this is one of the most important trends: they are also investing a lot of their money in more practical endeavors. storm-proofingUpgrades like wind-resistant roofing and built-in generators, as well as basement drainage.

“It’s exploded since Hurricane Irene in 2011,”MarketWatch.com interviewed Justin Mihalik as the vice president of the New Jersey chapter of American Institute of Architects.

They are not to blame. The destruction caused by Hurricane Irene on the East Coast was enough. Final toll: At least 56 deaths and $15.6 million in damages. Superstorm Sandy, which caused destruction in 24 states, was then almost like a two-punch.

* 159 dead (including at least 87 from related causes like clean-up accidents and hypothermia due to power outages).

* More than $71 billion in damages.

* Distraught homeowners, especially in hard-hit New York and New Jersey, arguing with their insurance companies that wind had sheared off their roofs and allowed damaging rainwater to pour inside. (This is crucial because standard homeowners’ policies only cover wind-driven rainfall, but not floods.

It is clear that homeowners have the opportunity to reduce their insurance costs by installing wind-resistant roofing.

Jason Joplin is the program manager of the Center for the Advancement of Roofing Excellence. He has analyzed all options and recommends that new roofs use pre-cut Starter Strip Shingles from GAF.www.gaf.comNorth America’s largest roofing manufacturer is. “Starter strips lock the first row of shingles tightly in place to help prevent future blow-offs,”He says.

For those who are still undecided about joining the trend, even after the Oklahoma tornado that killed dozens of people in May, here’s some advice. If you want to experience what it’s like for your home to be reduced to rubble, and then being locked in a wind driven rain vs flood dispute with your insurer company, here are two words from Susanne Bannon of New Jersey, who is in her mid-60s.

“It’s traumatic,”She spoke to the Star-Ledger newspaper.