Prepare for Disasters

Your life can change in the blink of an eye.

Yesterday, Mayor Ken Welch and the City of St. Pete team provided a storm update as Idalia continues to strengthen. If you missed the press conference, we encourage you to watch the entire video.

Mayor Welch urges residents to stay alert and continue to take the storm seriously, as heavy wind and rain will occur throughout the evening tonight.

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Remember: Building codes are a minimum standard. These retrofits and home upgrades can make your home as safe as it can be from natural disasters no matter your code.

Choose the Right Safe Room for You

Did you know that you can have near-absolute protection from tornadoes in a FEMA safe room or an ICC 500 certified storm shelter?

Prepare for Disasters

Your life can change in the blink of an eye.

If your home is damaged or destroyed by a storm or natural disaster, the process of repairing or rebuilding provides an opportunity to build back better. Your house will be stronger and more resilient before the next disaster.

Consider upgrading your home for harsh weather with retrofits specific to the age and location of your house.

Search your address to get started.

For more information about your home’s building code and the disaster history in your area, search your address at Inspect2Protect.org.

Check out real-life stories of how disaster survivors have bounced back stronger by rebuilding with resilience in mind.

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Why does it matter?

Your house design and shape are critical to handling lateral loads from high-wind events like hurricanes and tornadoes.

What do I need to know?

A square house has the same load in every direction because its size and sides are uniform. Conversely, a long, narrow house will experience a much larger load on the long sides than on the short sides. Walls parallel to the lateral load must be designed and built to anticipate and handle this loading.

Roof shape affects the way a home handles high winds as well. A hip roof will withstand high winds better than a gable end roof as the gable can act like a sail on a ship and provide a large surface area for the wind to be blown against.

Where do I start?

If you are building new or adding to your home, use a hip roof design instead of a gable to benefit from the aerodynamics of the hip shape option. If you already have a gable shape or must use one for design reasons, you can reinforce the gable by bracing it to provide the strength necessary to resist high wind forces.

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Why does it matter?

If you live in a tsunami risk zone, elevating your house can help reduce the risk of property damage and protect you and your family better if you are unable to evacuate in time. Tsunami waves can reach heights of 100 feet or more, but many tsunamis have waves less than 10 feet in height. Prepare your home for these more common tsunamis.

What do I need to know?

  • Contrary to common belief, a tsunami is not one large wave, but a series of waves.
  • Tsunami waves can travel at speeds up to 450 miles per hour.
  • Smaller tsunami waves are just as destructive and dangerous as the larger ones.

Where Do I Start?

  • For your existing home, consult an engineer to evaluate the condition of your home and suggest actions to make it more resistant to tsunamis. There may be ways to divert potential waves and floodwaters. Improper methods of diverting waves and water could make things worse, so consult a professional.
  • In new construction, consider elevating your coastal home on piers or pilings like homes in the FEMA NFIP V-Zone. (link to Know Your Flood Zone)
  • Having a strong, elevated home allows the tsunami waves and related storm surge to pass underneath the house and thereby reduce potential damage.
  • Talk to your local officials, such as in the building department, floodplain management, or hazard mitigation office, to determine expected waves heights for your specific location.
  • An engineer can design the structure to resist the waves forces as well as scour, which can affect the pilings.
  • Consider building any new structure out of concrete instead of wood due to the reinforced qualities.
  • If the property layout allows, consider orienting the structure at an angle to the shoreline so any future wave impacts will not be direct impacts on the building.

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Your home’s shape and design has a lot to do with how it can resist an earthquake. New homes and existing homes can be modified to be more resistant to seismic forces.

What do I need to know?

  • Certain house locations, such as homes built on hillsides, can be more vulnerable.
  • Types of soils can amplify ground motions.
  • Houses built at the base of hills or mountains can be affected by landslides or rock falls
  • Houses with irregularities in wall layout or overall shape can be more susceptible to damage during earthquakes.
  • Cripple walls, the walls that support the main structure above grade or a basement, can be weak points if not designed and built properly.
  • Living areas above garages may need enhanced design due to the large opening of the garage door area.
  • Unbraced pier-and-post foundations, or unreinforced masonry walls or foundations, can be vulnerable aspects in a home.

Where do I start?

  • If you live in a mobile home, consider an earthquake-resistant bracing system.
  • Brace cripple walls and ensure that garages with living areas above can support the additional forces.
  • Consider the configuration of a home in new construction and story heights on any multi-story buildings.

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Sandbags can redirect stormwater and debris away from homes and other structures if they are correctly filled, placed, and maintained.

If you plan to use sandbags to protect your home in a hurricane or flood, follow these instructions:

Filling

  • Fill sandbags one-half full.
  • Use sand; otherwise, use local soil.
  • Fold the top of the sandbag down and rest the bag on its folded top.

Placing

  • Limit placement to three layers unless you have a building or wall to use as a backing. You can also stack sandbags in a pyramid.
  • Tamp each sandbag into place, completing each layer before starting the next layer.
  • Clear a path between buildings for debris flow.
  • Lay a plastic sheet in between the building and the bags to control the flow and prevent water from seeping through openings like sliding glass doors.

Limitations

  • Sandbags will not seal out water.
  • Sandbags deteriorate when exposed to continued wetting and drying for several months. They may not be effective when needed if they are left outside for too long.
  • Sandbags are for small water flow protection – up to two feet. Protection from more significant water flow requires a more permanent flood prevention system.
  • Wet sandbags are very heavy. Use caution when lifting to avoid injury.

NOTE: Consult your local environmental protection department before disposing of used sandbags as sandbags exposed to contaminated floodwaters may pose an environmental hazard and require special handling.

Purchase and monitor a NOAA Weather Radio and download mobile weather alerting apps to stay informed of potential severe weather activity.

Secure your water heater, refrigerator, and other major appliances with the appropriate straps screwed into the wall studs or masonry to help keep them from falling over and rupturing gas or electric connections.

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Why do they matter?

Design pressure (DP) ratings indicate the maximum amount of positive (pushing) and negative (pulling) pressure that your windows can withstand without breaking during events like hurricanes or tornadoes. Understanding the DP of your windows matters because it can help you evaluate the potential performance of your home in a high wind event. Knowing that your windows have a lower DP may also help make a case for investment in hurricane shutters or newer, impact-resistant windows.

Design Pressure (DP) rating on windows is different from impact-resistance ratings. DP only reflects wind pressure, not impacts from flying missiles or windborne debris that commonly occurs in high-wind events.

What do I need to know?

  • Use products that are tested and approved using a standard established through a recognized product approval system or evaluation report.
  • Refer to your local building department to identify appropriate DP Ratings. DP ratings and requirements vary by your wind zone location and even by the window location in the wall. For example, DP rating requirements in the middle of the wall may be lower as the pressure is lower there compared to windows located near the edges where wind pressure is greater.
  • Avoid designs that include large spans of glass, windows with multiple panels, and double entry doors when constructing a new building in areas subject to high winds. Single door widths and windows should not exceed three feet.
  • Correct window installation is essential for proper window performance. Choose the correct DP rating, add impact-resistance attributes, and follow manufacturer-provided instructions to ensure windows perform optimally in high winds.

Where do I start?

Replacing your windows

  • Check with your local building department for information about the required DP for windows where you live.
  • Follow manufacturer specifications when using or installing wind-resistant windows. Improper installation may cause a voided warranty or even product failure that presents a threat to life and property.
  • Enhance your window performance by selecting windows rated for both wind pressure and impact resistance from flying debris.

More Resources:

  • FLASH. Resilient Design Guide Wood Frame.
  • FLASH. Resilient Design Guide Concrete.

Why does it matter?

Proper installation is critical to window performance during hail and high-wind events as design pressure (DP) ratings and impact-resistance affect optimal performance. Window manufacturers specify the proper way to install their products, and following the instructions will help ensure your windows deliver performance consistent with their ratings.

What do I need to know?

  • Window installation will often require a building permit and inspection.
  • Hardware used to secure the windows should penetrate the home’s structural frame and not just the exterior finishes.
  • Self-adhered flashing, commonly called “window tape,” is used to seal window openings securely. Apply the tape after the window is installed first from the bottom sections and up to the top. Each section above should overlap the section below to create an effective drainage path.
  • The most commonly used replacement windows have a “flush fin,” a vinyl fin that surrounds the window frame’s perimeter and is flush with the existing window’s exterior flashing “fin.” Make sure to place your nails in the correct part of the fin before covering it with self-adhered flashing.

Where do I start?

Replacing your windows

  • Check with your local building department for information about the design pressure rating and any windborne debris protection requirements required in your area, and whether or not installation requires a permit and inspection.
  • Follow all manufacturer’s specifications as incorrect installation may cause a voided warranty or, worse, a product failure that presents a threat to life and property.
  • If you are hiring a contractor to install your windows, verify that they are licensed, bonded, and insured. Use verified, third-party reviews online, and collect references from your neighbors when choosing your contractor.

Building Stronger Communities Through Partnerships

We partner with more than 100 innovative and diverse leaders and organizations with the mission to make America a more disaster-resistant nation. These Founding and Legacy partners are the cornerstone of the disaster safety movement and share a vision that includes safe, strong, and sustainable structures for every community.

The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — is the leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters by following a solid emergency plan.

Find the Best Family Disaster Preparedness Plans and Home Protection Options

Make a family disaster plan and know what to do before, during and after.

Our History

Founded in 1998, the nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) is the country’s leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters. The FLASH partnership includes more than 100 innovative and diverse organizations that share a vision of making America a more disaster-resilient nation. In 2008, FLASH, and Disney opened the interactive weather experience StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes, in Lake Buena Vista.

Meet Our Board of Directors and Advisors

Creativity, vision, and a constancy of purpose drive success at FLASH. FLASH brings together world-class teams to create successful and award-winning outreach initiatives, advance building code public policy through thought leadership, and forge impactful public-private partnerships.