Building Science Resource Library
The Building Science Resource Library contains all of FEMA’s hazard-specific guidance that focuses on creating hazard-resistant communities.
You can search for a document by its title, or filter the collection to browse by:
- Topic: High winds, flood, earthquake, etc.
- Document Type: Brochure, report, fact sheet, infographic, etc.
- Audience: Building professionals & engineers, individuals & homeowners, teachers & kids, etc.
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Residential safe rooms are becoming more popular as families seek protection from violent tornadoes. Like any other room, safe rooms must be accessed through an opening or door. Just as the walls and roof of a safe room are designed and built to protect against extreme winds and wind-borne debris, so must the safe room door. When careful selection and installation of the safe room door assembly is overlooked, the safe room door opening can leave occupants at great risk of injury or death during tornadoes. This fact sheet provides graphics and useful information about selecting adequate door assemblies for residential safe rooms.
Safe room door assemblies are one of the most important components of a safe room because they must provide the same level of protection as the walls and roof, yet also remain functional for quick access. This fact sheet provides information about the selection, installation, and maintenance of safe room door assemblies for community safe rooms. It is recommended that safe room door assembles are regularly maintained to protect their functionality and maximize their life span. The fact sheet covers what should be checked and how often, as well as several solutions related to the maintenance of safe room door assemblies. While the fact sheet discusses community safe room door assemblies, some of the information in the fact sheet is pertinent to owners of residential safe rooms.
The Playbook is intended for officials interested in increasing community resilience and reducing loss from natural hazards by adopting the latest editions of model building codes. The Playbook provides general steps to help navigate the code adoption process and informs about FEMA grants available to support building code adoption and enforcement activities.
Homeowners, business owners, design professionals and builders in wildfire-prone regions can benefit from understanding general fire resistance characteristics of common construction materials and building products. This Recovery Advisory aims to provide a list of materials that can withstand higher exposure and help slow the spread of fire, but it is important to remember that fire-resistant does not mean fire-proof.
Defensible space is an area with limited combustibles surrounding your home that helps to reduce the chance that your home will catch fire during a wildfire event. Defensible space is up to 100 feet from your home and slows or stops the progression of wildfire. Defensible space, coupled with structural hardening, is critical to increasing your home’s likelihood of surviving a wildfire.
This Recovery Advisory, focused on one- and two-family dwellings, presents important fire safety recommendations for design professionals, including architects, engineers, installation professionals and contractors to reduce the likelihood of ignition and structure-to-structure fire spread in single family homes during a wildfire, where building setbacks and defensible space may be limited.
This guide provides essential financial preparedness advice for renters in earthquake-prone areas. It covers the potential financial impacts of an earthquake. The guide outlines various financial tools renters can use for recovery, such as savings, insurance, loans, and disaster assistance, and emphasizes the importance of earthquake insurance and maintaining financial resilience before a disaster strikes.
FEMA has created this activity sheet intended to inform and engage children about building codes.
This guide provides essential financial preparedness advice for homeowners in earthquake-prone areas. It covers the potential financial impacts of an earthquake. The guide outlines various financial tools homeowners can use for recovery, such as savings, insurance, loans, and disaster assistance, and emphasizes the importance of earthquake insurance and maintaining financial resilience before a disaster strikes.