FLASH Launches Retrofitness Hurricane Mitigation Campaign
May 10, 2006 FLASH News

The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes - FLASH is launching a new educational campaign to help homeowners make their homes hurricane-resistant. The program focuses on homeowners with older pre-code homes and those with un-repaired 2005 hurricane damage.

FLASH President & CEO Leslie Chapman-Henderson, University of Florida Graduate Researcher/FLASH Project Engineer Rob Davis and Wilma-affected Homeowner Charles Bone will unveil details of the new Retrofitness campaign with specific To Do lists for homeowners and access to free technical resources. They will share recommendations for residential hardening techniques, findings from UF residential damage research and insights from a homeowner who faces hurricane season with a Wilma-damaged, un-repaired roof. A press event is set for Wednesday May 10 at 10:30 am in room 304 of the Broward County Convention Center.

Approximately 95 percent of Florida's housing stock is made up of older homes built in areas either without better building codes or built prior to passage of better codes, said Chapman-Henderson. The 'Retrofitness' campaign is designed to give the owners of those homes information about retrofitting techniques they can use today to prepare for the worst of hurricane season.

In addition to discussing proven retrofitting techniques, Chapman-Henderson will be joined by Rob Davis, a UF Graduate Researcher/FLASH Project Engineer who will highlight findings from the University's post-2004 hurricane damage assessments, including a dynamic video clip documenting progressive building failure of a home during Hurricane Charley.

FLASH is the winner of the 2006 Governors Hurricane Conference Excellence in Public Education/Public Information Award. The news availability begins at 10:30 a.m. in Room 304 of the Broward County Convention Center on Wednesday, May 10, 2006.

The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes - FLASH, Inc. is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization of government agencies, professional associations, and private industry committed to strengthening homes and safeguarding families from disaster. Based in Tallahassee, FL, FLASH is the nation's fastest-growing disaster preparedness organization with more than 75 partners from academic, government, leadership, non-profit, private and public sector organizations. To learn more about FLASH and access free homeowner and homebuilder resources, visit www.flash.org or call toll free (877) 221-SAFE (7233).