Library

Guide providing minimum design and construction requirements for storm shelters that provide a safe refuge from storms that produce high winds, hurricanes, and tornadoes.

Report summarizing the wind-resistant provisions of the 2015 edition of the International Building Code.

Report describing the experience gained from AIA’s Disaster Assistance Program with first-hand accounts of disaster response and recovery, case studies and other best practices, including approaches to designing buildings to be more adaptable to uncertainty.

A publication highlighting recommendations that contribute to improved overall performance in the structural shell and focus on good connection details to tie together exterior walls, roofs and floors.

A report that evaluates the force it takes to crack stucco of various thicknesses.

Information sheet about insulating slabs.

Information sheet containing images and descriptions of cantilevers.

Carpet and Rug Institute website homepage.

Website discussing building foundation problems caused by settling soil in Colorado.

Information guide describing issues with concrete floors, in multiple climate zones.

Document discussing moisture considerations and testing techniques for concrete floors.

FEMA risk management series guide on hospital safety and resilience to natural disasters.

Report providing information on ways to incentivize funding of hazard mitigation programs.

Report about an experimental evaluation conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.

Link to all versions of ASCE/SEI 24, a standard describing the minimum requirements and expected performance for the siting and design and construction of buildings and structures in flood hazard areas that are subject to building code requirements.

A fact sheet on how to prepare for a natural disaster by storing food and water through an emergency food supply.

Document describing the emissions criteria for carpets, cushions, and adhesives to qualify as those with low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions under the Carpet and Rug Institute's Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality Testing Program.

Website article touring areas hit hardest by tornadoes to see how they are building differently to protect against the next big twister.

NOAA webpage providing images and short descriptions of different types of hurricane shutters.

An impact test report from projectile missile tests against brick veneer, verifying that brick veneers perform well to resisting hurricane force wind driven debris.

Fact sheet defining “lowest floor,” identifying common construction practices that are violations of NFIP regulations, and discussing benefits of exceeding the NFIP minimum building elevation requirements; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact...

Report providing a resource that communities can use to identify and evaluate a range of potential mitigation actions for reducing risk to natural hazards and disasters.

Glossary of terms used by the National Flood Insurance Program

Website containing USGS-related publications related to natural hazards.

Report about an experimental evaluation has been conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.

Report describing the experimentally evaluated potential of a novel residential night cooling concept.

A fact sheet educating the public on the potential hazards and safe use of portable generators.

Website providing guidance on how to reduce the risk of damage to a home from hail.

Database describing FEMA preparedness webinars including natural hazard preparedness.

Fact sheet describing how to prepare for a natural disaster and assemble a disaster supply kit.

Information sheet including a checklist of steps to follow for pouring concrete.

A fact sheet providing tips on how to assemble a kit of food, water and other disaster supplies in the event of an emergency.

Webpage containing downloadable fact sheets covering carpet-related topics including Indoor Air Quality, Asthma and Allergy, Cleaning Products, and Environmental Sustainability.

Report describing the testing of various siding materials for their ability to resist bullets from small firearms.

Fact sheet describing how to install bracing to retrofit roof dormers for increased wind resistance.

FEMA information on safe room funding to regional governments.

Report covering the planning, design, construction, and operation of residential and community safe rooms. Written for architects, engineers, building officials, local officials and emergency managers, and prospective safe room owners and operators.

How hard can it be to insulate a flat sheet of concrete? I mean you only have three choices – on the top, on the bottom, or on the edge. OK, you might have some combination of the three as well.

Article describing suggested food supplies, sanitation, safety, and cooking for during and after an emergency.

Research project evaluating the pre-and post-retrofit energy consumption of a marine climate retrofit, compare actual energy use to original predictions, and identify opportunities for cost savings in other similar retrofits in this climate.

Report presenting safe room designs and showing the homeowner and builder/contractor or local design professional how to construct a safe room for a home or small business.

Projectile missile testing of various wall panel configuration to understand how the different wall constructions would perform when struck with wind driven debris from a hurricane.

Website providing guidance for people to find and use tools, information, and subject matter expertise to build climate resilience.

Article describing how adhesives can be used to make homes in high-wind locations stronger and how adhesives could be too effective resulting in overloading foundation anchors under earthquake loads.

A review on the knowledge about ventilated wall claddings from field performance and hydrothermal modeling.

A heat map showing the average number of tornadoes per year across the United States

Article discussing structural and nonstructural building components and illustrates a variety of wind-induced damages, including wind-driven rain infiltration.