FEMA Releases Three Recovery
Advisories Following Hurricane Ian in Florida
FEMA’s
Building Science Disaster Support (BSDS) Program is pleased to announce
the release of three new Recovery Advisories (RAs) in support of
DR-4673-FL:
- RA 1 - Designing for Flood
Levels Above the Minimum Required Elevation After Hurricane Ian
- RA
2 - Reducing
"Loss of Utility" Impacts to Critical Facilities
- RA
3 - Reducing
Water Intrusion Through Windows and Doors
These
advisories were developed as part of FEMA’s Mitigation Assessment Team
(MAT) activities following Hurricane Ian impacting southwest Florida in
September of 2022. Although these advisories were developed in response
to the hurricane in Florida, much of the guidance can also be helpful
to other regions, states and interested stakeholders for improving
their building and community resilience.
The
advisories are available online at www.fema.gov/bsds.
RA 1: Designing for Flood Levels Above the
Minimum Required Elevation After Hurricane Ian
Flooding in
Florida from Hurricane Ian in 2022 extended far beyond mapped Special
Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) and often exceeded base flood elevations
(BFEs) depicted on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), by several
feet in some areas.
This
advisory reviews how coastal Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and base
flood elevations (BFEs) are established, provides guidance on elevating
buildings to minimize flood damage in cases where flood levels exceed
the minimum required elevation, and includes considerations with
respect to future conditions.
This
document is primarily intended for designers, local and emergency
management planners, home and building owners, and operators. It may
also be helpful to any stakeholders involved in selecting lowest floor
elevations for new construction in areas either affected by Hurricane
Ian or with similar hazards.
RA 2: Reducing "Loss of Utility"
Impacts to Critical Facilities
Hurricane
Ian damaged critical facilities, power, water, wastewater, and other
utilities. The loss of potable water was particularly significant.
Utilities are essential to the operation of critical facilities.
Even if a
critical facility suffers minimal or no damage to its structure,
building envelope, and mechanical, electrical plumbing systems, the
loss of utilities can prevent them from functioning.
This
advisory focuses on what utilities critical facilities need to operate
and what actions critical facilities can take to temporarily provide
the utility service needed for continuing operations when external
utilities are lost or being repaired.
The
document is primarily intended for owners and operators of critical
facilities, the architects and engineers who design them, and emergency
managers who coordinate with critical facilities during emergency
planning and disaster recovery. Utility providers can also benefit from
the RA’s considerations and guidance.
RA 3: Reducing Water Intrusion Through Windows
and Doors
This
Recovery Advisory provides important recommendations to reduce water
intrusion through and around windows and doors due to wind-driven rain
during extreme wind events. Water intrusion through and around windows
and doors can damage interior finishes and interior contents. Water
intrusion can also lead to algae and mold growth and may result in
degradation or complete loss of building function, until adequate
repairs are made. This Recovery Advisory addresses specific issues
observed by the FEMA Hurricane Ian MAT in Florida. However, it
does not address water intrusion through windows and doors due to
flooding.
The primary
audience includes building owners, operators, and managers; design
professionals; building officials; contractors; and municipal building
and planning officials.
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