Disaster Safety Blog

Things to know before you go

Whether you're going on vacation for spring break, travel extensively for business or pleasure, have rental property that is unoccupied, or share time between two homes, there are things you can and should do before closing up your house for any real length of time, according to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety.

Adjust Thermostat - One of the easiest things to do, but something easily forgotten, is adjusting the thermostat.

    * In colder climates, don't turn the thermostat off. Instead, lower it to a temperature that's warm enough to keep pipes from freezing but low enough that you are not spending money to heat an empty home. (No lower than 55 degrees.)
    * In warmer climates, high temperatures and humidity can damage furniture or other home contents. In this case, set your air conditioner to 85 degrees.

Protect Plumbing - Both plastic (PVC) and copper pipes can burst. Pipes, water heaters and other appliances can leak, or in freezing weather, pipes can freeze and burst, which can cause major damage in a home left unattended.

    * If you are leaving for an extended period of time, the best protection is to have the water shut off and the water lines drained.
          o Seek the advice of a professional plumber, who can shut off the valve at the water meter and send water outdoors and away from the house or into a basement drain. Once this has been done, the plumber should flush all toilets and drain the showerhead pipe.
          o Shut off the gas to the water heater (or the gas company can do this for you), or turn the temperature control to a "vacation" setting. If your house has a water softener, shut off its supply line.
    * If you choose to leave the water service turned on or will be away only a short while:
          o Make sure all pipes are insulated, especially in a garage or basement next to an outside wall or in crawl spaces and the attic. These exposed pipes are most susceptible to freezing.
          o Heat tape can also be used to wrap pipes. Wrap the tape or cables around water pipes, plug in the cord and the heating element will warm the pipes to prevent freezing. Closely follow all manufacturers' installation and operation instructions.
          o Turn off the water supply to individual fixtures like your washing machine, icemaker, toilets and sinks.
            Flooding often occurs when hoses are worn or ruptured, or there is a leak at the connection.
          o Don't leave appliances (dishwasher, washing machine or dryer) running when you leave, and check to make sure toilets aren't running. As an extra precaution, unplug your toaster, coffee maker, microwave oven, computer and television.
          o Make sure the sump pump is working, especially in late winter or early spring when melting snow or heavy rain increases the risk of basement flooding.

Plan for High Wind - If you're going to be away during a season that brings high wind, protect your property:

          o Trim dead limbs from trees and shrubbery and store outdoor furniture and other objects that could become damaging missiles if picked up by high wind.
          o Close and lock all doors, windows, skylights and vents to keep out wind and wind-driven rain.

Make Your House or Business Look Occupied - An empty, unsecured property can be a tempting target for thieves and vandals. 

    * Put interior and exterior lights on timers and/or motion sensors. Set the timers on staggered hours to turn lights on and off at different times.
    * Make sure tapered deadbolt locks all installed and in use on entry doors. The taper makes it almost impossible to use a wrench or other tool to twist the lock open.
    * Suspend mail service and newspaper delivery.
    * Install a monitored security system. (Insurers often provide discounts for devices that make a home safer, so consider the financial benefit.)
    * Inform the local police department that your house will be empty.

CEA rolls out retrofit program in California

California’s nonprofit earthquake insurance provider is shaking up its efforts to protect lives and property, the Sacramento Business Journal reports.

The California Earthquake Authority (CEA), which is an IBHS member company, is devoting $23 million to launch a retrofit program that would give owners $1,000 each to improve their home's ability to withstand quake damage. The newspaper says the program could boost business for remodeling contractors during the weak economy.

CEA Earthquake Response Manager Dan Dyce joined IBHS and representatives from the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium and the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the Earthquakes: Mean Business conference earlier this month in St. Louis. Dyce briefly discussed plans for the retrofit program during a panel discussion, which included IBHS, CUSEC and FEMA representatives, who discussed structural and non-structural retrofit options and business continuity planning tools.

IBHS offers the Open for Business^® program to help small business owners prioritize their plans to safeguard their business against all types of natural and manmade risks, including earthquakes. Download a free copy.

Building code update would require stronger enforcement in Memphis

An update to the commercial building code in Memphis, Tenn., which is considered among the cities at highest risk of damage from an earthquake along the New Madrid Seismic Zone, is expected to take effect this spring, pending final approval by city and county officials, according to the Commercial Appeal. The newspaper reports "the code will make buildings not just safer, but better, more serviceable."

According to the report, the new rules will require more inspections to ensure the code is being met. The existing code lacks enforcement requirements.

The new seismic codes emphasize creating a continuous load path from the roof to the foundation with the intent of increasing the building's ability to do more than just allow people to escape prior to a collapse, according to the newspaper.

The newspaper also reports along with the code update, there also is now an increased focus on encouraging non-structural mitigation, such as securing bookshelves, hanging fixtures and appliances, to prevent items from falling on people. Falling objects are the major source of damage due to earthquakes in the Midwest, according to the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC). Both of these factors will allow a busienss to re-open quickly with little or no damage after an earthquake.

Structural and non-structural mitigation, along with a push for strong building codes and enforcement in the Midwest, were the focus of an earthquake outreach initiative conducted by IBHS, CUSEC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency earlier this month in five states, including Tennessee.

The newspaper describes the new Tennessee building code classifications in four ways:

Collapse prevention. It's like the crumple zone of a car. The auto may be totaled, but you can walk away from a crash.

Life safety. Better secures nonstructural elements of a building, such as light fixtures and bookcases that could fall on people. The building might still be unusable or require massive renovation, but its occupants were able to get out. This is the level the updated code is targeting most buildings, Paullus said.

Immediate occupancy. Building withstands a quake so well that it's repairable with a few months of work.

Essential structures. These are buildings everyone will depend on for recovery and order should a quake hit. They include police and fire stations, hospital operating rooms and military installations. These structures are so resistant, a quake may cause people inside to fall, but they can get up and go back to work.

For more information on protecting businesses and homes from earthquake damage through structural and non-structural mitigation projects, download a free copy of the IBHS guide "Earthquake Risk Around the U.S. - How to Protect Your Property."

Fire season takes early toll in Virginia

The fire season is only weeks old in Virginia, but wildfires have already claimed 45 homes and other structures, fire officials report.

Dry conditions and high winds have fueled 150 blazes that have scorched more than 4,500 acres since igniting Saturday. At one point, 700 homes were in the path of a fire before firefighters gained control of the blaze. Weather conditions have improved today, which should aid in the fire fight.

IBHS offers resources to help home and business owners protect properties against wildfire damage. Download a free copy of the IBHS Wildfire Retrofit Guide: Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Edition, which includes information specifically developed for Virginia properties.

A case study in business continuity: Is your business this ready?

Whatever name your local grocer goes by, chances are they are a lifeline to the community and closing the doors in a disaster would have widespread consequences. Today's Cincinnati Enquirer profiles the Kroger chain of grocery stores as a case study in business continuity planning. While the sophistication of the operation may be too much for some smaller businesses, there is a lesson in how well the stores have performed post-disaster.

"Kroger associates work around the clock to track bad weather forming from Anchorage to Atlanta, the newspaper writes. They're looking for mudslides in Washington State, forest fires in California, tornadoes in Kansas, hurricanes in Texas, ice storms in the Southeast.

At the earliest signs of any natural disaster, Kroger associates begin a detailed process of preparing stores, distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, truck fleets and store employees to make Kroger's response to a storm as unnoticeable to customers as possible.

Sophisticated weather tracking is crucial for the nation's largest grocer, the newspaper writes. Wind, storms and wild weather can force stores to lose electricity and products to spoil. It can shut down manufacturing or distribution facilities and run trucks full of goods off the road. It can compromise people's safety. And it can cost millions of dollars in losses.

"The bottom line is they're neighborhood grocers, and the people that surround them are counting on them to have a good, safe, adequate food supply," Tom Jackson, president and CEO of the Ohio Grocers Association, told the newspaper.

Heading up Kroger's planning efforts is Frank Bruni. Ironically, he joined the company in 2008 on the day that Hurricane Ike hit the South and then blew up into a freak windstorm that caused widespread damage across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

Bruni's logistics team has two objectives: It must be sure that anything a customer may want is on a shelf in every store and that the safety of any of Kroger's 334,000 employees isn't compromised in the process."

Recently, the Enquirer was allowed a rare look into Kroger's storm command center. Read more about the business continuity planning process employed by the grocery chain.

Ready to make your own business continuity plan? The level of sophistication needed in your plan depends upon the individual needs of your business, says the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). The IBHS Open for Business^® program has free tools to help you determine your level of risk, how to become better prepared and how to reopen quickly after a forced closure. Download a free copy of the Open for Business Toolkit.

Prepare now: Forestry officials warn of dangerous wildfire season in Florida

The year 1998 is forever etched in the memories of many who live in Volusia County, Fla., and the surrounding communities as the time when a massive wildfire swept through the area. Florida forestry officials are now warning the upcoming wildfire season could bring conditions far worse than in 1998, The Deland-Deltona Beacon reports. 

In 1998, 250,000 acres burned in Volusia, Flagler and St. Johns counties in Florida. Walls of flame swept through some areas.

Florida Division of Forestry District Manager Mike Kuypers recently told residents that, as in 1998, a La Niña weather pattern is expected to prevail in 2011, bringing dry conditions through spring 2011. Kypers explained that just a few years ago, 85 percent of wildfires were in wild lands away from homes. Now, 85 percent of the fires are near developed areas, that are bordered by woods and wild lands. This makes it even more important for homeowners and communities to make their buildings and landscaping fire-resistant.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) recommends taking a community-wide approach to wildfire protection. Residents can use the Wildfire Risk Assessment Checklist, found in the IBHS Wildfire Retrofit Guide: Florida Edition, determine their vulnerability to wildfire and how to reduce it. The Checklist has a cost estimator to help home and business owners budget the projects they need to complete to keep their property from going up in smoke.

Download a free copy of the IBHS Wildfire Retrofit Guide: Florida Edition. IBHS offers nine regionally specific guides. Find the one for your area at www.DisasterSafety.org/wildfire. 

Steps to protect your business from winter weather

If you own or operate a business, you know every penny counts. Reduce the risk of property damage putting a damper on profits this winter by taking a few simple precautions from the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). .

At Closing Time

Adjust the Thermostat -
In colder climates, adjust the temperature to 55 degrees before closing. This will keep the pipes from freezing.
In warmer climates, adjust the air conditioning to 85 degrees before closing to protect against humidity and potential mold exposure.

During Holiday Closures

Protect Plumbing -
Unless the building has a fire protection sprinkler system, shut off the water and drain the water lines before you close for the holidays.
Shut off the gas to the water heater, or turn the temperature control to a very low or “vacation” setting.
If the building has a water softener, shut off the supply line. Unplug or turn off any non-essential appliances, boilers or machinery.

Prevent Water Damage -
If you choose not to shut off the water, inspect for leaks and turn off the water supply to individual fixtures.
Unplug appliances and ensure any sump pumps are working properly.
Insulate pipes in colder climates.
Consider installation of an electronic leak detection system, either local or monitored.

Routine Maintenance

Prevent Leaks -
Check the roof for loose or missing shingles or needed repairs.
Make sure gutters are cleaned out, downspouts extend away from the foundation, and splash blocks slope away from the building.
Caulk seams and cracks
around all pipes where they exit roofs and exterior walls, flashing seams between the roof and siding,
door and window frames, and any vents or antennae.

Plan for Rain, Hail and High Winds -
Trim dead vegetation around the building.
Bring inside any exterior furniture or fixtures indoors.
Close and lock all doors, windows, skylights and vents to keep out wind and wind driven rain.
If appropriate, install storm windows, doors or hurricane shutters.

Find more property protection solutions from IBHS at www.DisasterSafety.org

Are you a mitigationite?

Do you look around at the images of devastation broadcast so widely - and unfortunately, so frequently - these days on the 24-hours news cycle and think "why did this have to happen?" If you're like us, you don't understand why everyone doesn't see the simple, obvious benefits of everyone having a strong, safe place to call home or a business to go back to when disasterous conditions improve.

At IBHS, we want effective mitigation everywhere across the country, and for everyone, regardless of the value of their assets. We know that those assets – which are homes and businesses in the IBHS world – deserve protection. As do the families, businesses, and communities attached to those assets. We can’t understand why everyone doesn’t see the world the way we do, because we know with certainty that if mitigation was truly a core public value, the world would be a much safer, better and happier place.

Maybe you are one of us “Mitigationites.”

Join us and celebrate a FORTIFIED Nation, where strong structures make strong communities. Find out more - www.DisasterSafety.org/conference.

IBHS weighs in on PS-PREP

The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has submitted comments on the Voluntary Private Sector Accreditation and Certification Preparedness Program, known as PS-Prep, drafted by the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA).

IBHS has prepared several versions of a Crosswalk which initially compared the components of IBHS’ disaster planning tool for small businesses, Open for Business^®, with criteria proposed by DHS for selecting the standards for PS-Prep, as well as the three standards that were selected for adoption.  The Crosswalk was recently updated to reflect DHS guidance and the final standards adopted by DHS on June 15, 2010, as well as several enhancements to Open for Business^®.

“Our decade-long experience with Open for Business^® suggests that small businesses avoid continuity planning and disaster preparedness for a variety of reasons – including the lack of time, money, expertise, and a long-term perspective on the need for preparedness,” said IBHS’ Debra Ballen, general counsel and senior vice president of public policy. “The PS-Prep program should incorporate all possible measures to provide positive incentives to small businesses to start the planning process and avoid putting up barriers that may delay or derail implementation.”

“Given the relative lack of business preparedness and continuity planning in the small business community, it is critical to raise awareness about the importance of this planning and to provide easy access to planning tools,” said Diana McClure, IBHS’ business resiliency program manager.  “The reality is that most small businesses do not know what  preparedness planning is, have not done any planning, are focused on their daily responsibilities, and need to be provided with some helpful guidance before they can take action.”

In this regard, IBHS suggests a comprehensive educational effort that is supported, but not regulated, by DHS guidance and resources.

This effort should:

•  Emphasize the importance of preparedness and access to tools that will help small and medium-sized businesses get started, and are consistent with PS-Prep
• Stress, in layman’s terms, that the foundation of any business preparedness and continuity plan, no matter how basic, should:
  • start with identification of the hazards/risks to which the business is exposed;
  • identify where the business is most vulnerable; 
  • determine the impacts of interruption on the business; and
  • prioritize actions to take to improve the business’ ability to survive and thrive following a disruption.
  • Encourage small businesses to exercise, update and improve their business disaster preparedness and continuity plans; and
  • Recommend a variety of tools that could be used, taking into consideration their alignment with business preparedness and continuity planning best practices, but focusing on their utility rather than how they align with PS-Prep or with techniques used to measure and maintain the quality of manufactured products.

“We strongly support DHS’ plan to develop guidance to help small businesses identify organizations that can help increase their level of disaster preparedness and potentially become certified under PS-Prep,” Ballen said.  “We are proud that the elements identified in the Federal Register Notice are all attributes of IBHS and our Open for Business^®  program, including expertise and experience, affordability, accessibility, and consistency with PS-Prep.”

 

Rebuild stronger when repairing Midwest storm damage

As  Midwest residents recover from last week’s severe wind, rain and snow storms, the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) urges home and business owners to incorporate disaster-resistant techniques into their repair and rebuilding efforts.

On October 27, a massive wind, rain and snow storm blew across the Midwest, with wind gusts reaching speeds of 80 mph.  The storm also reportedly triggered as many as 12 tornadoes.  Thankfully, no deaths were reported, but the storm caused major property damage to homes and businesses, leaving some structures uninhabitable.

“This severe weather event once again demonstrates the unpredictable, awesome power of Mother Nature,” said Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO.  “It also underscores the importance of building and retrofitting structures to better withstand nature’s power and fury before the next storm roars through.”

 IBHS offers the following high-wind resistant retrofit techniques for homeowners:

 If you are re-roofing:

• Replace any damaged roof sheathing, and have the roof deck re-nailed by adding 8d ring shank nails, or apply a closed-cell, urethane-based adhesive to joints between roof sheathing and all trusses and along joints between sheathing panels.
• If you can gain access to the roof-to-wall connection, either through the soffit or by removing roof sheathing along the edges, apply steel straps that tie the roof to the walls.
• Apply a secondary water barrier on the roof.
• Be sure to use a high-wind-rated roof covering.
• Brace gable ends over about 4-feet tall.

 If you are re-siding:

• Check wall sheathing behind siding, and replace any damaged sheathing; have sheathing re-nailed by adding ring shank nails with at least a 6-inch spacing along panel edges and 12-inch spacing along wall framing in the middle of the panels.
• Use high-wind rated impact resistant siding.

If you replace windows or doors:

• Choose exterior doors that have a pressure rating of at least 25 pounds per square foot and open outward instead of inward – unless you do not have enough of a landing outside your door and the code requires the door to open inward.
• Make sure that any replacement windows have a pressure rating of at least 25 pounds per square foot.

For business owners, there are several relatively inexpensive loss reduction and prevention measures that can be implemented to protect commercial buildings from future damage and minimize operational disruption.  Some simple risk reduction strategies include:

If you are re-roofing:

• Choose a roof cover system that includes a building code Product Approval appropriate for your region, and is installed by a reputable contractor.
• Ensure that perimeter roof flashing is well-secured and does not have any gaps where wind can get under it.
• Roof mounted equipment should be well-secured to the structural components of the roof, so it does not become windborne debris that can puncture the roof cover.

If you have to replace roll-up doors or garage doors:

• Make sure that roll-up doors or garage doors have a pressure rating of at least 25 pounds per square foot.