Disaster Safety Blog

Ida will keep Gulf Coast residents on guard

The National Hurricane Center reports Hurricane Ida was weakening early Monday as it headed for the Gulf Coast, but forecasters warn the storm could still pack hurricane-strength winds and storm surges when it hits shore overnight.

This graphic shows an approximate representation of coastal areas under a hurricane warning (red), hurricane watch (pink), tropical storm warning (blue) and tropical storm watch (yellow). The orange circle indicates the current position of the center of the tropical cyclone. The black line, when selected, and dots show the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast track of the center at the times indicated.

Top sustained winds from the Category 1 hurricane had decreased to near 80 mph around 7:00 a.m. EST, according to the Center. Hurricane warnings remained in effect from Pascagoula, Miss., east to Indian Pass, Fla. Tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches are in effect across neighboring areas including New Orleans.

Forecasters said Ida could make landfall Monday night or early Tuesday.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency as a precaution, and the National Guard was on high alert if assistance was needed, the Associated Press reports.

Ida's heavy rainfall wake triggered flooding and landslides in El Salvador that killed 124 people. One mudslide covered the town of Verapaz, about 30 miles outside the capital, San Salvador.

Early Monday, Ida was located about 235 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving north-northwest near 16 mph.

Learn more about affordable ways to protect your property against hurricane damage with information from the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).

Building code bill takes next step

Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) President and CEO Julie Rochman commends the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for its unanimous vote approving H.R. 3377, the “Disaster Response, Recovery, and Mitigation Enhancement Act of 2009.”

“This legislation is a critical step toward enactment and enforcement of statewide building codes, which will help ensure that homes, businesses - and therefore entire communities - are more disaster resistant,” said Rochman. “Encouraging states to adopt and enforce stronger building codes will help protect citizens and their property. This effort, if successful, also should save post-disaster recovery costs for cities, states, and the federal government."

Rochman noted that building codes are based on established scientific and engineering principles. "Codes are minimum standards, but are still critically important thresholds for life safety and property preservation," she concluded.

H.R. 3377 would provide increased post-event aid for states and municipalities that enact and enforce statewide building codes. The legislation, introduced by Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Michael Arcuri (D-NY), will now move to the House floor for full consideration.

Spend a little, save a lot when it comes to preventing quake damage

Earthquake Awareness Week in South Carolina ends tomorrow, but it has given residents an opportunity to better understand the state's risk from a disaster that is often far from top of mind for many.

The inability to forecast earthquakes makes them unlike other natural disasters that threaten the state, such as hurricanes and wildfires, Sumter County Emergency Management Director Robbie Baker told TheItem.com.

“You’re not going to have an advance warning for an earthquake. If we have a major earthquake, then there’s a good chance that the roads will not be passable. It could take several days before help arrives," Baker told the Web site. "In fact, you could be more isolated in an earthquake than in a hurricane. The only way to reach you after an earthquake could be by air.”

The state Emergency Management Division, the S.C. Earthquake Education Center at the College of Charleston, and the National Weather Service are sponsoring the awareness week to remind people that earthquakes pose a significant threat to South Carolina year-round, and citizens need to take proper precautions.

Many things residents need to do to prepare for earthquakes are quite inexpensive and can be done by a home or business owner with limited home improvement skills. For example, anchoring a water heater to the floor can reduce the chances it will tip over even in a minor earthquake. Preventing toppling reduces the risk of water damage and, if the water heater uses natural gas, minimize the chances of a fire following the earthquake. Learn more with free information from IBHS.

Although the state has fortunately not experienced a major earthquake in 95 years, it is important for residents to be aware that earthquakes have a history in South Carolina.

Here's a look back:

• In 1913, a quake with an estimated magnitude of 5.5 on the Richter scale hit Union.
• In 1886, an earthquake in Charleston killed 60 people and destroyed or damaged most buildings in the city. That historic earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.3, was felt as far away as Alabama and Florida, and is considered the most damaging earthquake to ever strike the Southeast.
• In 2000, an earthquake with a 2.43 magnitude was recorded in Lee County.

Forecasters watch Ida as it moves into Gulf of Mexico

What was once Hurricane Ida left a trail of destruction in Nicaragua on Thursday,and forecasters warn the storm could restrengthen as it enters the Gulf of Mexico.

It's just too early to forecast whether Ida will pose a threat to the U.S. mainland, the National Hurricane Center says. Forecasters do predict Ida could dump as much as 20 inches of rain on the swampy mainland as it passes over Nicaragua, with the risk of floods and mudslides.

The storm is preparing to reemerge in northwestern Caribbean. Where it will be headed and how strong it may become are something meteorologists are closely watching.
 
Take stock of the hurricane readiness of your home and business before severe weather threatens. Many of the things that you can do to prepare - such as sealing roof openings and recaulking around windows and doors - also could help lower your winter heating costs. Learn more with help from the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).

Ida reminds residents of hurricane dangers

Anyone needing a reminder that it's still hurricane season in the Atlantic got one this morning. Hurricane Ida uprooted trees, knocked down power lines and forced the evacuation of 300 people on Nicaragua's Corn Island after forming Wednesday and quickly gaining strength in the southwestern Caribbean, according to the Associated Press.

Ida's maximum sustained winds were at 75 mph early Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane center warned of possible life-threatening flash flood and mudslides, saying storm could dump 15 to 20 inches of rain over eastern Nicaragua.

The ninth named storm of the Atlantic season was centered about 60 miles north-northeast of Bluefields and moving northwest near 7 mph. Ida is predicted to weaken once it moves inland.

A hurricane watch was in effect for the eastern coast of Nicaragua from Bluefields to the border with Honduras.

If a hurricane hit the U.S. Mainland today, would your home or busienss be ready? Find out five things that can reduce the risk of hurricane damage, according to the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).

Mid-Continental Earthquakes Could Spawn Aftershocks that Linger for Centuries

In a new study published in the journal Nature, geologists suggests that monstrous mid-continent earthquakes like the 7.9 magnitude quake that occurred in China last year killing 69,195 people, could spawn aftershocks that linger for centuries.

This differs from earthquakes on the continental edge faults, such as California’s San Andreas, which releases aftershocks within days.

A phenomenon called continental drift occurs when continental crusts mover over the Earth’s surface over hundreds of millions of years. When continents clash or collide with the ocean floor, earthquakes and volcanoes result.  Mid-continental earthquakes, however, awaken more ancient, seemingly quiet faults left over from long-ended continental collisions.

Co-authors of the study, Mian Liu of the University of Missouri-Columbia and Seth Stein of northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., show that earthquakes in continental interiors, such as the Mississippi’s  New Madrid seismic zone hit by 1811 and 1812 major quakes, unleash aftershocks up to a millennia later. This is the result of the slow settling of continental crust.

According to Mian, the risk of new major quakes along the New Madrid fault is probably lower than people suppose. However, it is not safe to assume that a seismic zone that produces earthquake clusters is shut off.

New tool can help Nevada residents better prepare for quakes

A new interactive map will enable home and business owners in 38 Nevada communities to better gauge the potential for earthquake damage and take steps to minimize property losses. Check out the map to determine your risk of earthquake damage.

The map was produced by the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology at the University of Nevada.The report includes more than 400 individual earthquake scenarios using the Federal Emergency Management Agency's loss-estimation computer model, HAZUS. It includes summary tables showing the potential for total economic losses, the numbers of buildings receiving extensive to complete damage, and estimates for the public needs including shelters and the potential injuries and fatalities.
 
“These new resources will be valuable tools for the homeowner and emergency managers throughout the state,” according to Jon Price, state geologist and director of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology. “After all, Nevada has one of the highest incidences of earthquakes in the nation and this helps everyone plan and prepare for their specific circumstances.”

Many scenarios involve earthquakes that are large enough to affect multiple counties and even multi-state regions. Also included are summary tables that rank the 38 communities by probability of earthquakes actually occurring and by loss for a magnitude 6.0 earthquake, like the one that hit Wells, Nev., in February 2008.

Price and other researchers will present a demonstration of the interactive map and probability report today to the Nevada Earthquake Safety Council.

If your home or business is at risk of earthquake damage, the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) offers a variety of projects to help minimize losses. Download a free copy of the IBHS guide Is Your Home Protected? A Homeowner's Guide To Earthquake Retrofit.

For insurers finding the right mix of green and durability is crucial

Can a building be designed to be both environmentally responsible and durable? It may sound like an easy enough question, but it's actually the subject of extensive discussions among engineers. Among the leading voices is Dr. John Straube. IBHS is fortunate to have Dr. Straube as the keynote speaker at this year's annual conference Going Green and Building Strong on Dec. 1 in Palm Harbor, Fla. Register for the conference.

Check out Dr. Straube's two-part discussion on this intriguing topic, which is offered in text and podcast versions at GreenBuildingAdvisor.com. The discussion offers a preview of the kinds of challenges insurers can expect to keep talking about for possibly years to come.

Here is an excerpt:

There’s a whole bunch of agendas that are being satisfied by a green-building label, but a sustainable building or sustainable society is one that can be sustained or continued to be produced for the long term without adversely affecting the conditions necessary to support the same activities in the future. That’s a real definition. Green we can argue about; sustainable, it’s right in the dictionary. We know what it means. And we’re nowhere near building sustainable buildings. When I hear that term, it’s like, “My god, are we going to dilute that brand as well?” The green brand has already being diluted, and a lot of people are skeptical. But don’t screw up what is actually a well-defined term called sustainable and say, “I’m making a sustainable building.” No, I’m building a more sustainable building. My building is net-zero energy or something like that, but it sure ain’t sustainable. But what we could do is minimize nonrenewable energy and resource use, and that might be a greener building than our current buildings. Who knows? What we do know is that green buildings are durable, because if they last twice as long, they use half as many resources over their life. Pretty simple. That’s an easy one. But, of course, to be able to be used for 50 years they also have to be functional. If you don’t design a building that is able to be functional, what’s the sense of having it in the first place? 

Learn more about the risks and benefits of "green" construction

The concept of going "green" has gone mainstream - from how Americans choose household products to the ways in which they remodel their homes. Still, the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) recognizes many questions remain about how going "green" can change the ability of a house or business to standup against damaging natural and manmade disasters. The reality is, no matter how "green" a building may bem, if it ends up as debris in a landfill it has done little to protect the environment.

The theme for this year's IBHS Annual Conference on Property Loss Reduction is Going Green and Building Strong. The conference presenters will explore the risks and benefits of building and remodeling using green products. IBHS Senior Vice President of Research and Chief Engineer Tim Reinhold talks about these challenges and what more to expect from the conference in the Take Five section of www.climateandinsurance.org.

The IBHS conference is Dec. 1 & 2 in Palm Harbor, Fla. Register today and view the full agenda.

Fall flooding takes Midwest by surprise

The calendar may read November, but judging by the landscapes around the Midwest it may as well be spring or early summer.

Even the National Weather Service is perplexed by the unusual amount of rain that has fallen this fall, USA Today reports. The rains have caused rivers to spill over their banks in parts of Missouri and Illinois.

Heavy rain fell last week over much of the two states, causing flash flooding and rising rivers. In fact, October rainfall was at record amounts at many spots.

The autumn monsoons are hard to figure, Benjamin Sittrell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in suburban St. Louis, told USA Today.

"Typically during the late-year period, it's our driest portion of the year," Sittrell said. "To see such astronomically high amounts of precipitation, where we got several inches above the previous record levels, is very abnormal."

Keep water from damaging your home or business with projects from the Institute for Business & Home Safety. It's surprising how spending a little money can result in major savings when flood waters rise.