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Mitigation: Structural and non-structural measures undertaken to
limit the adverse impact of natural hazards, environmental
degradation and technological hazards.
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Hazard Mitigation is defined as sustained action that
reduces or eliminates long-term risk to people and property
from natural and technological (man made) hazards and their
effects. For example, mitigation involves keeping homes away
from floodplains, engineering bridges to withstand natural
and man made hazards, creating and enforcing effective
building codes to protect property from floods, tornadoes
and more. Technological hazards include hazardous materials
incidents, terrorism, and major traffic accidents to name a
few.
What can you do at home or work to lessen the effect of a
disaster? Something as simple as bringing in patio furniture
before a storm is a means of mitigation. You've just
prevented that deck chair from flying through your picture
window. Mitigation can also be installing a sump pump in
your basement to keep out water. Building a safe room within
your house is another form of mitigation. This would be a
place of safety for you to go when severe weather or a
tornado approaches your home. Simply having a
plan of action at
home and
work is a great start
towards mitigating a potential disaster. |
Taking Shelter from the Storm: Preparing a Safe Room |
 This
booklet, prepared by FEMA, provides shelter designs that
will show you and your builder or contractor how to
construct a shelter underneath a new house, in the basement
of a new house, or in an interior room of a new house, or
how to modify an existing house to add a shelter in one of
these areas. These shelters are designed to protect you and
your family from the high winds expected during tornadoes
and hurricanes and from flying debris, such as wood studs,
that tornadoes and hurricanes usually create.
 CLICK
HERE TO DOWNLOAD
7.9 MB |
Design and Construction Guidance for Community Shelters |
 This
document is a guidance manual for engineers, architects,
building officials, and prospective shelter owners. It
presents important information about the design and
construction of community shelters that will provide
protection during tornado and hurricane events. For the
purpose of this manual, a community shelter is defined as a
shelter that is designed and constructed to protect a large
number of people from a natural hazard event.
CLICK
HERE TO DOWNLOAD
14.9 MB |
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