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 uninhabi
more

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.Bob Vila
Videos:http://www.bobvila.com/
BVTV/Copyright B.V.T.V. Inc
2007

Category Howto & DIY

Tags storm-ready, storm-resistance, building, rebuilding, hurricane, bob, vila