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DISASTER
RECOVERY Return
to the Spring 2001 _____________ Corporate President/CEO Vice
President
CONFERENCE REGISTRAR Brazil:
Jose Carlos Ferreira
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Click Here for a Printable Version
Building
Safe Communities - From the Ground Up - by Clifford Oliver, CBCP Hurricanes,
tornadoes, floods, wildfires, earthquakes -- rural communities hit by
natural disasters are often the hardest hit. The impact on individuals
can be devastating, with significant loss of property and even lives. Severe weather can affect all communities whether large or small, rural or urban. The fact is, regardless of what type of natural disaster threatens a community, creating a disaster-resistant community is possible by incorporating prevention as part of the planning process. Building new structures or enhancing existing structures is a key component in reducing the potential damage that may result when a disaster hits a community. And it’s been proven - prevention works! The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that every dollar spent on disaster prevention efforts yields two dollars saved in repairing damage caused when a disaster hits. Through FEMA’s Project Impact, an initiative to make America’s communities disaster resistant, the agency encourages local community officials, businesses and residents - including developers - to take responsibility for preparing their communities to safely weather a disaster. Against the
Wind Safe rooms are hardened structures, often built of concrete, built within a home or public building that provide a ‘safe-place’ people can go to during severe weather to survive with little or no injury. Safe rooms are designed to withstand winds of up to 250 miles per hour, particularly important in tornado prone areas where most building code requirements for high winds are set significantly lower than the wind speeds typically associated with a tornado or hurricane. Recognizing
the importance of these structures, several of Tulsa’s HBA members
are incorporating prevention measures into the initial design of the
homes and including safe rooms as a standard feature in housing communities
under construction in that region. Rising Waters Innovations
in design and the demands of homeowners encourage contractors build
homes like the Gregory’s. In addition, the foresight of builders
to offer safer, more disaster-resistant homes at the outset will help
communities minimize the damage from a flood or rising waters from a
hurricane. Elevating structures
in hurricane and flood prone areas is only one way builders and community
planners can ensure homes are disaster resistant. Others include: On a Fault
Whether in a
rural or urban area, the best protection for homes in earthquake prone
areas is to brace structures for the seismic shifts that might occur.
Bolting wood frame houses to concrete foundations can avoid pulling
apart if an earthquake hits. For structures with tile roofs, use of
mechanical fastening ensures the tiles will not slide off and become
falling debris. Additionally,
all major appliances and heavy objects should be securely attached to
a supporting wall. Anchoring heavy furniture also eliminates the danger
of shifting and falling objects. Shatter-resistant glass, especially
when used in entranceways or other escape routes, protects residents
from being injured from cracked and broken glass. Snuffing
out the Flames Taking Action Clifford Oliver, CBCP, is a current member of the Certification Board of DRI International. ©Copyright 2000 Systems Support Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without the express written permission of System Support Inc. is prohibited. |
