Tips To Reduce Disaster Loss
Release Date: August 23, 2006
Release Number: 1650-056
» More Information on New York Severe Storms and Flooding
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States. During the last three years, the State of New York alone has had five major disaster declarations for severe storms and flooding.
As New Yorkers begin the repair and rebuilding process from the June floods, the State of New York and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offer a number of repair tips to reduce or even prevent major damages in a future disaster.
"We want to make sure that people living in flood prone areas know how they can make their properties better able to withstand the destruction of another disaster," said Federal Coordinating Officer Marianne C. Jackson.
"The floods have caused great personal distress for thousands of New Yorkers," said Director of the New York State Emergency Management Office John R. Gibb. "Mitigation is one way to help alleviate future destruction."
Mitigation and retrofitting are techniques that may lessen damage to homes, businesses and property in the event of a future disaster. The following rebuilding tips may make your property less vulnerable to water damage from floods.
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Raise electrical systems to avoid potential fires caused by short circuits in flooded systems. If the electrical system becomes flooded for even short periods, it may require replacement. A licensed contractor should do all electrical system modifications.
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Elevate heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) equipment, such as a furnace or hot water heater. Lift up exterior HVAC equipment at least 12 inches above your home's projected flood elevation. A good way to protect interior HVAC equipment is to move it from the basement or lower level of the house to an upper floor.
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Anchor fuel tanks. Rapidly moving floodwaters can move an unanchored tank. The tank may crash into your walls or be swept downstream where it can damage other houses. One way to anchor a tank is to attach it to a large concrete slab heavy enough to resist the force of waters.
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Install sewer backflow valves; flooding can cause sewage to back up into houses through drainpipes. Backflow valves block drainpipes temporarily and prevent flow into the house. These valves are available in a variety of designs that range from simple to complex.
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Add a waterproof veneer or facade to the exterior walls and seal all openings to prevent water from flowing into the house. The veneer may consist of a layer of brick backed by a waterproof membrane. Also, modify the interior walls so that they will resist moisture damage. In the area below the flood level, replace standard batt insulation with washable closed-cell foam insulation, and install exterior grade lumber for any wood blocking inside the wall.
It is important that all work meets current state and local building codes. Exceeding building code requirements with a "code plus" approach to rebuilding increases the disaster resistance of your house and decreases the chance of major structural damage from water. For more detailed information, talk to a professional homebuilder, contractor or building supply retailer.
FEMA's How To (386) series can be viewed, downloaded and printed from its web site by logging onto www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/howto/index.shtm or you may order copies at 1-800-480-2520 Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. EST. The series features illustrated guides like the topics mentioned above.
For information on your home's projected flood risk, go to the web site www.floodsmart.gov.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 23-Aug-2006 10:05:25