Building to Beat Storm Surge

Todd Davison from FEMA is with Bob to talk about Hurricane Ivan and the power of storm surge. Ivan, unlike Hurricane Charley, had a very wide path and was slow moving. As a result, the storm surge was tremendous and the damage widespread. In the Florida Panhandle, 15, 000 homes were destroyed and another 25, 000 were uninhabitable. Storm surge built with this hurricane because of its slow, forward-moving track that pushed Gulf water ahead of it. This surge lifted bridges off their supports and homes off their foundations. Davison points out that there are building guidelines to prevent such damage. FEMA is actively involved in promoting guidelines for how to rebuild to fend off future damage. Protecting against storm surge is a huge focus for building practices because it forces water under slabs and presents a vertical risk of uplift to the home. Model codes now require that new homes be raised above the projected flood height. The Punta Gorda storm-ready house is nine and one-half feet above the water, a move that will save the homeowners more than half of the non-code premium for flood insurance. For homes built before the code, they are grandfathered and eligible for insurance but at a much higher rate.

Technorati: bob building hurricane rebuilding storm-ready storm-resistance vila