After a Flood in a Residential Property:

1.       Use caution when entering a damaged building. If your property has sustained serious structural damage or if there are any doubts about its safety, contact local building officials to determine the status of your house before entering.

2.       Report downed power lines or gas leaks to the utility company. If you smell gas and can safely shut off the gas do so immediately.

3.       Keep electricity off if the house has been flooded. Never turn electricity on or off while standing in water. Rely on professionals to restore your utilities.

4.       Take reasonable steps to protect your property from further damage by boarding up broken windows and salvaging undamaged items. Disconnect all electronics and electrical equipment and move it to a dry location as soon as it is safe to do so.

5.       Begin to remove water-damaged materials immediately.

6.       Remove as much standing water as possible from inside the building.

7.       Ventilate with fans and/or dehumidifiers.

8.       Clean any framing or surfaces exposed to standing water or areas showing mold growth with a disinfectant cleaner.

9.       Acting quickly can increase the chance of salvaging usable materials, reduce the amount of rust, rot and mold that might develop, and limit the likelihood of structural problems.

10.    Replace any damaged wall board or finishes with materials that will not be damaged in a future flood.

You Can Go Home Again offers more tips on returning home after a flood.

After a Flood in a Commercial Property:

1.       Use caution when entering a damaged building. If the property has sustained serious structural damage or if there are any doubts about its safety have it inspected before you or your employees enter.

a.        If you own the building your business occupies, contact local building officials or have it inspected by structural engineers and contractors to determine its safety and the extent of the damage.

b.       If you do not own the building, work with the owner to have the building inspected. Whether or not you own the property, you are responsible for the safety of employees, customers and anyone else on the premises.

2.       If the building is not usable, you will need to find an alternative location to conduct business.

3.       Report downed power lines or gas leaks to the utility company. If you smell gas and can safely shut off the gas do so immediately.

4.       Keep electricity off if the house has been flooded. Never turn electricity on or off while standing in water. Rely on professionals to restore your utilities.

5.       Take reasonable steps to protect your property from further damage by boarding up broken windows and salvaging undamaged items. Disconnect all electronics and electrical equipment and move it to a dry location as soon as it is safe to do so.

6.       Begin to remove water-damaged materials immediately.

7.       Remove as much standing water as possible from inside the building.

8.       Ventilate with fans and/or dehumidifiers.

9.       Clean any framing or surfaces exposed to standing water or areas showing mold growth with a disinfectant cleaner.

10.    Acting quickly can increase the chance of salvaging usable materials, reduce the amount of rust, rot and mold that might develop, and limit the likelihood of structural problems.

11.    Replace any damaged wall board or finishes with materials that will not be damaged in a future flood.

12.    Once the building has been cleaned up, make sure that all utilities and safety systems, such as fire alarms and sprinkler systems, are operational before you move employees back into the building.

Getting Back to Business offers more tips for small business owners on working with insurance representatives to get back to business as safely and quickly as possible.

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About the IBHS

IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization supported by the property insurance industry. The organization works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks to residential and commercial property by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.

Forecasters are predicting that Bonnie may dump 2 inches to 5 inches of rain on South Florida. The storm is expected to continue moving west-northwest from the Bahamas and could potentially affect the Florida Panhandle, as well as parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas.

Taking precautions now, before the wind-driven rains begin, should help reduce the amount of cleanup and repairs necessary after the storm passes. Here are some helpful measures residents should take now, according to IBHS:

·         Where possible, move furniture and electronic devices off the floor, particularly in basements and first floor levels; this can be done by placing furniture on blocks, and electronics on shelves or on top of furniture.

·         Roll up area rugs, and get them off the floor. This will reduce the chances of rugs getting wet and growing mold. This is particularly important if the property will be left unattended for an extended period of time and if long-term power outages are a possibility.

·         Inspect sump pumps and drains to ensure proper operation. If a sump pump has a battery backup, make sure the batteries are fresh or replace the batteries.

IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization supported by the property insurance industry. The organization works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks to residential and commercial property by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.

The issue’s feature article, “Surviving Nature’s Fury: Performance of Shingle Roofs in the Real World,” details findings of a comprehensive IBHS research study on roof cover damage during hurricane conditions. The study examines damage levels at relatively low wind speeds as a function of the age of the roof, the adoption and enforcement of modern building codes, and investigates the validity of questions concerning whether the current approach to the design of shingles that reduces uplift loads is adequate.

This edition marks a turning point in the publication of Disaster Safety Review, which will now be the primary venue for original IBHS research, said Editor Candace Iskowitz, IBHS director of public affairs.

“We hope IBHS members, as well as professionals in the construction, engineering scientific research fields and others will look to the magazine as a source for valuable building science research from the new state-of-the-art IBHS Research Center and from IBHS post-disaster field investigations,” Iskowitz said.

Other articles in the summer 2010 DSR include:

·         “Tracking the Tropics: Predictions for an Active 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season,”  which includes seasonal forecasts from NOAA, Colorado State University, N.C. State University, Tropical Storm Risk, Accuweather.com, EQECAT Catastrophe Modeling, and the United Kingdom Meteorological Office.

·         “It Only Takes One Hurricane: FORTIFIED Solutions for Protecting Your Home,”  which highlights the new IBHS retrofit program that offers affordable options for existing homes to reduce the risk of damage from hurricanes and other natural hazards.

·         “Making a Case for Proper Window and Exterior Door Installations,”  outlines steps taken by the Fenestration Manufacturers Association and other trade groups to address water intrusion issues that surfaced after the active 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons along the Gulf Coast.

·         “Will Coastal Codes Pass the Test this Hurricane Season?,”  examines the importance of modern, well-enforced building codes in reducing hurricane-related damage and provides a state-by-state analysis of codes in place from Texas to Maine.

·         “IBHS Research Center: From Concept to Reality,” traces the construction process of the facility and is accompanied by a Frequently Asked Questions article about the state-of-the-art research lab in South Carolina. The lab is scheduled to open in October and will change the face of windstorm-related hazards research, specifically as it relates to wind-driven hail, wildfire ember transport, high-wind exposure and hurricane resilience.

·         “Responding to the Risk in South Carolina,” highlights the state’s move toward resiliency in the 20 years since Hurricane Hugo’s devastating winds and rains pummeled coastal and inland areas.

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About the IBHS

IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization supported by the property insurance industry. The organization works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks to residential and commercial property by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.

Roof cover damage continues to be the most frequent source of hurricane-related insurance claims not related to storm surge. The multi-variant IBHS findings offer compelling evidence of how well asphalt shingle roofs would perform during a hurricane.

“Our research took a much broader approach than what has been done in prior post-hurricane disaster investigations,” said Dr. Timothy Reinhold, IBHS’ senior vice president of research and chief engineer.  “IBHS’ analysis examined damage levels at relatively low wind speeds as a function of the age of the roof, the adoption and enforcement of modern building codes, and investigated the validity of questions concerning whether the current approach to the design of shingles that reduces uplift loads is adequate.”

“Surviving Nature’s Fury:  Performance of Asphalt Shingle Roofs in the Real World” uncovered a number of findings, among them:

1.       A significant number of roofs installed after 1998 experienced damage.  Many of the roof coverings experienced damage to less than 1 percent of the total roof covering.  The damaged roof area of homes built between 1996 and 2001 averaged 4 to 5 percent.  Roof damage dropped dramatically for homes built after 2002. It is too early to tell whether the better performance was due to the newness of the roof covers or to building code changes in 2002, which added a check for roof cover wind rating.

2.       Newer shingle roofs installed after  the Texas Department of Insurance adopted the 2000 International Building Code in February 2003 exhibited much less wind damage from the wind speeds produced by Hurricane Ike than older roofs in the same area. This could be attributed to a combination of age and code/product changes. The Institute noted that more study is needed to further explore these issues.

3.       Damage occurred even in fairly light winds – peak gust wind speeds in the areas where houses were studied were less than 90 mph. This demonstrates that it does not take a major hurricane with high wind speeds to substantially damage a roof.

“This study just begins to address the issues associated with shingle performance in high winds,” said Dr. Reinhold. “More research is needed both in terms of field investigations for events, where new wind-rated products are exposed to higher wind speeds, and in a controlled environment such as the new IBHS Research Center, where effects of aging and wind speed can be investigated on demand for a variety of products.”

Dr. Reinhold presented the preliminary findings of the study at the recent National Hurricane Conference in Orlando. The full version of the study is available in the summer issue of IBHS’ Disaster Safety Review.

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About the IBHS

IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization supported by the property insurance industry. The organization works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks to residential and commercial property by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.

According to the National Weather Service, every thunderstorm produces lightning. On average, 300 people are injured and 80 people are killed each year in the U.S. by lightning.

“Thunderstorms are a dangerous weather event and their destructive capabilities should not be taken lightly,” said Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO. “Property losses related to lightning strikes exceed $1 billion annually, according to insurance industry data. These losses can range from damage to expensive electronic equipment fires that destroy an entire house or business.”

For lightning protection, a whole-house/building surge protector is the best starting point for reducing the risk of damage. It is important to make sure that it is either a secondary surge arrestor tested to IEEE C62.11 or a transient voltage suppressor that has been tested to UL 1449, 2^nd Edition. A number of power companies have programs to provide and install the whole-building surge protection. If this is not available in your area, consult a licensed electrician. 

However, for best results, the protection should extend beyond the whole-building surge protection. IBHS strongly recommends the following:

·         Install additional protection for important or expensive electronic equipment. This should include localized surge protection for power cords to the equipment and any telephone and cable/satellite TV lines connecting to the equipment. These devices are available at most home improvement and electronics stores.

·         Have a licensed electrician or competent home/building inspector review the power, telephone, electrical and cable/satellite TV connections to your building. Have them check to make sure that you have adequate grounding of the power line connection and your power distribution panel. All of the utilities should enter the structure within 10 feet of the electrical service entrance ground wire and be bonded to that grounding point.

“Thunderstorms do not receive as much notoriety as hurricanes or the other perils of Mother Nature, but they are a force to be reckoned with,” Rochman said. “Preparing your home or business will you give you peace of mind knowing that you will be better protected when thunderstorms strike.”

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IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization supported by the property insurance industry. The organization works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks to residential and commercial property by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.

Hurricane forecasters all agree that 2010 is expected to be an above-average year for tropical storms and severe hurricanes. More than 55 million people live along the coast from Texas to Maine where there is also $9 trillion worth of insured property that is exposed to the threat of hurricanes.

The guidelines are publicly available at Disastersafety.org. For more information, contact IBHS at (813) 286-3400 or info@ibhs.org.

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Nearly seven out of 10 people own a home in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s “Homeownership Rates for the United States: 1968 to 2010.” When considering the purchase of a home, buyers typically research key area demographics such as the quality of schools, property tax rates, and crime rate. However, another critical aspect of homeownership – and the benefits or strains on that ownership experience – is the potential for natural disaster(s) native to the area.

“Buying a home is typically the largest single investment people ever make,” said Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO.  “While researching a neighborhood or town, it is absolutely critical for prospective homeowners to learn what natural disasters, such as wildfire, windstorms, hail, or flooding,  may impact the area.”

To help home buyers and homeowners identify and learn more about several types of natural disasters where they live or may want to live, the IBHS offers a ZIP Code-based tool at www.DisasterSafety.org .  The tool provides a list of the natural disaster(s) that may occur in that particular area.

People who already own homes can use the information on DisasterSafety.org to guide them in retrofitting their houses so that they are more resistant. Retrofits range from simple tasks (e.g., covering exterior hose bibs in the winter to prevent frozen/burst pipes) to more complex tasks (e.g., installing impact-resistant windows). DisasterSafety.org offers guidelines on ways to increase a home’s resiliency against earthquake, flood, wildfire, hurricane, high winds, tornadoes, severe winter weather and hail.

“No matter the type of natural threat, there are a number of ways – from simple and inexpensive to more complex and costly – that homeowners can make their homes stronger and safer,” Rochman said. “People need to know that they can do things to protect their home and family against damaging and potentially deadly effects of a natural disaster. This is important information for people in every corner of the nation, and Homeownership Month is a perfect time to focus on this issue.”

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IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization supported by the property insurance industry. The organization works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks to residential and commercial property by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.

Tampa, FL (May 24, 2010) – The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) today announced the release of its new Open for Business^® Online Trainer and Advanced Track sessions, a Web-based continuity planning tool for small businesses available exclusively to IBHS members.

“Operating a business leaves little time to devote to planning ahead for a disaster that may never strike,” said Diana McClure, business resiliency program manager for IBHS.  “But everything from a natural catastrophe to a power outage or storeroom flood could force a business to close its doors. Anything that disrupts operations can mean big trouble for the bottom line or competitive advantage, especially for small businesses.”

Composed of nine short multimedia sessions, the Online Trainer guides users through the Open for Business^® planning tool to develop a customized property protection and business continuity plan, which is then stored online for future reference and updating.  The Online Trainer includes six new Open for Business^® Advanced Track sessions.

The new sessions are designed to help small business owners:

·         plan for an interruption in supply chains;

·         conduct risk and vulnerability assessments for their business;

·         plan for procurement, allocation and deployment of resources;

·         create a financial strategy for business resiliency;

·         manage an incident and develop a crisis communication plan; and

·         train employees in implementing the final business continuity plan.

Each session offers something new to learn and something new to complete. These sessions are available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“The Open for Business^® Online Trainer is a simple, intelligent and practical business continuity strategy with written plans that can help minimize the negative impacts of a disastrous event,” McClure said.