Week 3: Prepare Your Community

We all know the value of disaster preparedness, but how many of us take time out of everyday life to think about and prepare ourselves and our homes for a possible disaster? Building safety professionals make it their job to think about potential disasters every day. Building codes protect us against flooding, earthquakes, hurricanes and wildfire events.

How Codes Protect Against Disaster

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), one of the most cost-effective ways to safeguard our citizens and our communities against disasters is to adopt and follow hazard-resistant building codes.

• Since 1980, the average number of billion-dollar disasters has been six per year, but from 2016 to 2018, the number jumped to 15 per year.
• A staggering 65 percent of counties, cities and towns across the U.S. have not adopted modern building codes.
• The I-Codes could help communities avoid $132 billion to $171 billion in cumulative losses through 2040.

Disaster Preparedness

Having an evacuation and communication plan in place and an emergency supply kit on hand can help protect you and your loved ones.

• Develop a family action plan and share with everyone in your family, so you will know where to go if an evacuation is called.
• Review at least two exit routes from your home or neighborhood to a designated meeting place.
• Create a disaster supply kit that will allow you to remain in your home after a disaster or for use after evacuating to a safer location.

View more safety tips and checklists here.

Hazard mitigation

Hazard mitigation is a defensive approach that reduces long-term risk to people and property from future disasters.

• Visit Climate.gov to check how your exposure to five common climate-related hazards is projected to change overtime.
• For flooding, store valuables in waterproof containers, floodproof basements, elevate utilities above the BFE, install flood vents and use flood-resistant insulation and drywall.
• For severe winds from tornados or hurricanes, protect windows and glass doors with storm shutters, reinforce garage doors, fortify your roof and remove rotting trees and limbs.

Information provided by the International Code Council’s Building Safety Month.

Learn more tips and information on Week 3 here.