Mitigation Best Practices

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Train Operations Center is located in a very high seismic hazard area of Northern California. BART services the entire San Francisco Bay metropolitan area and is a major economic driver impacting the region. In October of 1989 a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the region causing widespread damage to buildings and transportation infrastructure.

AMITE, LA – When Jack and Fancy Hanks decided to build a house just 200 feet from the Tangipahoa River, they saw an opportunity to create a home that could stand up to nearly anything Mother Nature could throw at it.

When Hurricane Isaac made landfall in August 2012 and severely damaged thousands of homes in Louisiana, the couple’s planning paid off. The slow-moving storm swamped other buildings in their area, but the Hanks’ home stayed snug and dry, just as they had planned.

BEAUMONT, TX — Folks in Beaumont used to call their town “Bayou City” because it was under water so often.

“We can get more than 100 inches of rain in a year,” said Richard LeBlanc, Jr., general manager of Jefferson County Drainage District #6. It’s his job to manage all of that rainwater, for Beaumont and nearly the whole county.

BELHAVEN, NC - The first thing that usually strikes visitors who enter the small harbor town of Belhaven (population 1,900) is that many of the homes, whether trailer or mansion, are elevated high enough to protect them from floodwaters. The town did not always look like this.

As a coastal town in North Carolina, Belhaven has often been battered by severe storms and hurricanes. In the last eight years alone, it has been flooded by seven named storms and hurricanes, and absorbed tens of millions of dollars worth of damages.

BERKELEY, CA - Like most California communities, the City of Berkeley is susceptible to multiple hazards, including earthquakes, wildland-urban interface fires, landslide and liquefaction areas, and urban creek flooding. The community has experienced significant earthquake damage in recent years and is in continual preparation for the forecasted Hayward fault event as well as and other major regional earthquakes. The Hayward fault runs through the eastern portion of Berkeley.

MASON CITY, IA - During the first week of June 2008, heavy rains flooded major rivers and tributaries, forcing the Winnebago River and creeks (Willow, Chelsea, Ideal, Mason, and Calmus) to fill area homes in Mason City, Iowa, with up to 10 feet of floodwaters. Several intervals of excessive precipitation were a major contributor to flooding as heavy rain
continuously pounded most of central and eastern Iowa between May and early June 2008, causing rivers and creeks to dramatically extend beyond their bounds.

BETHANY BEACH, DE - Major coastal storms, with approximately a six-year frequency, severely damaged the old permanently-installed handicapped beach access ramp. This presented danger from wind-borne and water-borne debris to the adjacent fixed structures as well as any passersby. It also entailed responses by emergency services personnel. Additionally, loss of the ramp resulted in the loss of beach privileges to many handicapped persons.

BIBB COUNTY, AL – In 2004, when Hurricane Ivan caused severe devastation in much of Alabama, Bibb County residents knew they needed a community safe room. However, just one community safe room was not sufficient for the county’s 21,000 citizens. After extensive research, Bibb County was able to receive Federal funding to construct dual-purpose community safe rooms for three of its elementary schools.

BLACKSTONE, VA - After a 1998 ice storm wreaked havoc on power lines, cables, trees, and cut power to Blackstone residents for hours, town manager Larry Palmore decided it was enough. "Then last year [2002] we had another ice storm and a couple of small twisters. That was enough. There was no question we had to do something to keep from losing power and having downed (power) lines all over the place," Palmore said.