It was just another rainy summer afternoon–until the tornado struck.
Shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 28, 1990, the sky darkened and the wind roared. Then the menacing twister appeared. Where it touched down, it cut a swath of destruction, hitting Plainfield the hardest, smashing houses, uprooting trees and causing injuries and death.
After the disaster in southwest suburban Will County, some charged that earlier warning would have saved lives. That would have helped, but experts say there is little defense against the swirling fury of a tornado.
“We can’t design or build a house to survive the eye of a tornado,” said Ken Ford, an engineer with the National Association of Home Builders.
But the good news is that the catastrophic effects of other natural disasters can be tamed or reduced. Even inexpensive measures can help protect a house against the violent forces of hurricanes and earthquakes, floods and wildfires.
“While we don’t know yet how to keep disasters from happening, we do know how to reduce the impact they have on our homes and businesses,” said Richard Krimm, executive associate director for mitigation at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington.
Keeping nature in check can pay off for individuals and society. And there is no time to lose.
“The price of natural disasters is getting out of line; we have to mitigate against them,” said Krimm.
Nature exacts a hefty tab, and it is growing due to population increases and new homes being built in potentially dangerous areas.
Seven of the 10 most costly disasters in U.S. history have happened since 1989. They include Hurricane Andrew in Florida in 1992 that caused $30 billion in damage; the Northridge, Calif., earthquake in 1994, $20 billion; and the 1993 floods in the Mississippi River Valley, $20 billion.
“There’s a survival instinct in all of us. We need to take action to prevent loses,” said Eugene Lecomte, president of the Insurance Institute for Property Loss Reduction in Boston.
“Why build your dream home in a floodplain, or on an earthquake fault? But some people have the attitude that if something happens, Big Brother will take care of them. We have to teach people about the hazards,” Lecomte said.
The risks are widespread.
FEMA estimates that as much as 75 percent of the nation’s housing stock is located in disaster-prone areas. That includes 10 million homes at risk from flooding, 25 million homes at risk from winds and 50 million homes at risk from earthquakes.
“Ninety percent of disasters are floods,” said Krimm. “Of course, the best protection is to move out of a floodplain, but if people want to stay, they can jack up their homes enough to be above possible high waters.”
But many ignore the potential dangers.
“The common feeling is that `It won’t happen to me,’ or `We had a 100-year flood last year; it’ll be a long time before another one comes along,’ ” said Krimm.
“Since 1993, over 1.2 million Americans have been victimized in federally declared disasters, losing their homes, their property, their communities, their jobs and, in some cases, their lives. And this figure doesn’t count the hundreds of thousands of people who were impacted in events managed at the state and local levels.”
FEMA has launched the National Mitigation Strategy to reduce those loses. By the year 2010, the goal is to substantially increase public awareness of natural hazard risk, and to significantly reduce the risk of loss of life, injuries, economic costs and the disruption of families and communities caused by natural hazards.
Homeowners don’t have to wait for the year 2010. Something can be done now.
A FEMA booklet, “Reduce Your Risk From Natural Disasters,” outlines some relatively low-cost mitigation measures.
– For flooding: Move valuables and appliances out of the basement. Elevate the main circuit breaker or fuse box and the utility meters above the anticipated flood level. More expensive techniques might include elevating the water heater, furnace and washer/dryer.
– For earthquakes: Bolt or strap cupboards and bookcases to the wall to reduce the possibility of injury. Install anchor bolts, costing as little as $2 each, to connect the home to its foundations. Strap a gas water heater to a wall to prevent it from falling; a broken gas line could start a fire.
FEMA estimates that at least one major earthquake will strike an urban area in California in the next 30 years.
– For hurricanes and tornadoes: Install hurricane straps to secure the roof to the walls and foundation. Put up storm shutters to protect windows and prevent damage from flying debris.
While nothing can stop a tornado, there are ways to survive. A safe room, like a bomb shelter, can be built in a basement.
Gene Tullos, of Plainfield’s building department, described a stategy used in Kansas, a state much more tornado-prone than Illinois:
“Some people build concrete block shelters in the back yard. Partly underground, they offer refuge while the tornado runs right over it. It’s a great idea.”
– For wildfires: Move shrubs and other landscaping away from the sides of the house. Use tile or flame-retardant shingles on the roof; sparks can easily ignite a cedar-shake roof.
With the increasing outward expansion of the population into former wilderness areas, it does not take a large wildfire to generate catastrophic loses.
“Home safety is beginning to sell. In many cases, a home built to withstand natural hazards can fetch a better price than one that is more vulnerable,” said Krimm.
Research shows that people are more than willing to pay a premium to obtain a safe structure at the point of purchase.
“Properties built well sell more quickly because they meet the consumer’s need for safety,” said Krimm, who advises home sellers to make the small investment for disaster mitigation. “It is just another arrow in your sales quiver.”
New homes and subdivisions already incorporate many safety features.
Kevin Kazimer, business development director in the Chicago office of Bloodgood Sharp Buster, an architectural and planning firm, said that controlling storm water is an important aspect of subdivision planning.
“New communities are designed to accommodate flash flooding with dry detention areas or wet retention ponds. Some builders have resisted giving up land for this purpose, but it dresses up the development and becomes an attractive landscape feature,” he said.
High winds present a design challenge. Today’s popular volume spaces, two-story rooms with stacked windows or glass walls, need added stability in the event of high winds.
“So we design those rooms with heavier wall supports, 2-by-6 studs instead of 2-by-4s, in order to deflect the wind,” Kazimer said.
Another consideration is that the trees cut for today’s lumber may not be as mature as trees used 30 years ago.
“So we need more strength,” he said.
The building site also can be a factor.
“Wooded land can be considered a natural barrier against wind, but homes built in an open field have more exposure,” said Kasimer.
Ed Sutton, a code specialist with the National Association of Home Builders, said most of the damage caused by hurricanes, which pack winds of 75 to 155 miles an hour, is from water.
“Flying missiles–blown-off shingles or other debris–also cause a lot of damage,” he said.
Lightweight, two-car garage doors on attached garages can be a weak link in some homes.
“They have a tendency to buckle in high winds. If the garage door fails, wind can blow out doors, windows and even the roof. Once the roof comes off, the house is lost,” said Sutton.
Garage doors can be strengthened for $70 to $150.
Sutton blamed 50 percent of the residential failures during Hurricane Andrew on builders who didn’t follow codes and on a lack of code enforcement.
“Houses that have been built properly will survive a hurricane,” said Krimm.
Ford said large picture windows are popular, especially those offering great views of the ocean, but they must be braced and shuttered in a hurricane.
Ford noted that a major problem in earthquake-prone areas like California is that many of the older homes were not built to withstand a major seismic event.
“But new homes in California are much stronger,” he said.
Krimm noted that the TransAmerica Building in San Francisco swayed but suffered little damage in the earthquake of 1989.
Sutton believes financial incentives might spur people to disaster-proof their houses.
“Federal tax breaks, like we used to have for home insulation, might do the job,” he said.
Lecomte said insurance companies could offer incentives in the form of reduced premiums to homeowners who complete disaster mitigation projects.
“Retrofitting can save money in the long run by reducing the need for disaster services,” he said.
Lecomte called for action now. He warned that if a major catastrophe should hit in the heart of large metropolitan areas–like New York, Miami, San Francisco or Los Angeles–the monumental cost could overwhelm the insurance industry.
WHAT HOMEOWNERS CAN DO
Taking precautions ahead of time can save money if disaster strikes.
FLOODING
– To minimize losses, move valuables and appliances out of the basement.
– Make sure the main breaker or fuse box and utility meters are above flood level.
– Buy flood insurance-enough to cover the home and its contents.
EARTHQUAKE
– Bolt or strap cupboards and bookcases to the wall, with heavier objects on lower shelves.
– Strap the water heater to a nearby wall with bands of perforated steel.
– Use anchor bolts to strengthen your home’s connection to the foundation.
HIGH WINDS
– Install and maintain storm shutters to protect all exposed windows and glass surfaces.
– Have the house professionally inspected to ensure that the roof and walls can withstand extreme winds.
Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
