Library

Website describing and providing links to FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center, which home owners and builders can use to determine the flood risk of their location.

Documents describing Flood Resistant Provisions of the international codes (including the international building, residential, exiting building, mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas, fire, swimming pool and spa, private sewage disposal, and code council performance codes) and summaries of changes from the...

Activity sheets describing questions and preparedness action items for a variety of disasters including floods, fires, earthquakes, and winter weather.

Factsheet describing backflow valve benefits and tips.

Website describing and providing a map showing the tsunami risk index for the United States, which home owners and builders can use to determine the tsunami risk of their location.

FEMA guidance for flood damage in areas prone to flooding.

Report providing guidelines and procedures to determine whether damaged or potentially damaged buildings are safe for use after wind storms or floods, or if entry should be restricted or prohibited.

Website containing resources from the nonprofit FLASH, which "is the country’s leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters."

Guide from Building Science Corporation on how to construct a flood and hurricane resistant home.

This document includes tips for safely and effectively cleaning up a home after a flood. It is available in several languages.

Page describing in detail four important actions you should consider to protect your health and indoor air quality (IAQ) when cleaning up after a flood.

This five-page brochure contains basic information on flood cleanup with illustrations and links to more detailed information.

Website providing information to the public about preparing for floods and floods related to fires.

Website providing series of short how-to videos, infographics and more resources on cleaning up a home after a flood.

Report describing dry floodproofing technologies for non-residential buildings, including information about regulatory requirements, design considerations, and descriptions of floodproofing methods and equipment.

Website describing wet floodproofing measures to prevent against structural damage, internal damage and damage to electrical components.

Guide describing how and where to install flashings in order to weatherproof a roof.

Document describing living shoreline techniques for shoreline stabilization.

Report describing tsunamis and options for vertical evacuation from tsunamis; the guide addresses determination of tsunami and earthquake loads and structural design criteria and concepts, primarily for commercial buildings.

Webpage providing maps and information to assess the particular hazards and risks for an area.

Report containing 37 fact sheets that provide technical guidance and recommendations concerning the construction of coastal residential buildings.

Report describing for homeowners how to protect their homes from flooding, 3rd Edition.

Brochure describing FEMA documents and foundation tips for floodproofing homes.

Article describing how omission of two small but critical wall details, a kick-out flashing and a weep screed, lead to extensive water damage to a wall.

Website blog with guidance about calculating heat-loss.

Factsheet describing tips for building or renovating with a focus on disaster resistance.

Article from Building Science Corporation explaining 'wash and wear buildings' that are designed to be flooded and washed out afterwards.

Factsheet describing the concept of load paths and the important connections in a wind uplift load path; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Article describing the flashing of roofs and what to look for, targeted at home inspectors.

Factsheet describing smart practices for minimizing damage to residential electrical service components during coastal and riverine flood events.

Standard using performance-based principles to determine dead, live, soil, flood, tsunami, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, earthquake, wind, and fire loads, and their combinations for general structural design. This version of the standard was published in the year 2016 and is available in both digital...

Standard using performance-based principles to determine dead, live, soil, flood, tsunami, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, seismic, and wind loads, and their combinations for general structural design. The current version of this standard was published in the year 2022 and is available in both digital...

Standard using performance-based principles to determine dead, live, soil, flood, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, earthquake, and wind loads, and their combinations for general structural design. This version of the standard was published in the year 2010 and is available in both digital and print...

Article describing mulching with lawn clippings.

Report discussing development of scopes of work and quality management for builders in mixed-humid climates.

Online geospatial map with interactive viewer showing flood risk areas and base flood elevations

Brochure outlining what is covered under the National Flood Insurance Program

Resources describing the National Flood Insurance Program's technical bulletins for flood zone construction, including foundation walls, corrosion protection, floodproofing, and breakaway walls among other topics.

Report updating and expanding on a 2005 study that found, among other things, that every $1 of natural hazard mitigation funded by FEMA between 1993 and 2003 saved the American people an average of $4 in avoided future losses.

Website containing USGS-related publications related to natural hazards.

Report describing the interactions, both positive and negative, between common green building practices and the robustness of residential buildings to withstand natural hazards.

Report investigating what motivates remodelers to become energy-focused and what technical knowledge that need to be energy-focused.

Guide for electrical systems design including installation guidance and best practices for flood-prone areas.

Guide for fuel systems design including installation guidance and formulas for calculating loads and buoyancy forces for specifying number, type and capacity of strapping for hold-downs in flood-prone areas.

Document describing guidance and requirements for flood openings in walls at and below grade.

Report providing quick reference guide information to help a family prepare for hurricane season, including seven steps to a wind resistant home, a wind inspection checklist, and how to find a contractor.

Report providing guidance on protecting foundation walls and enclosures from flood damage.

Webpage for home owners describing ways to prepare indoor and outdoor fuel tanks to avoid displacement during floods.

Database describing FEMA preparedness webinars including natural hazard preparedness.

Report covering reducing risk from flooding.