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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Renter's Guide to Prepare Financially for Earthquakes

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.

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Homeowner's Guide to Prepare Financially for Earthquakes

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.

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Earthquake Mitigation Planning Guide for Communities

This guide helps state, local, tribal, and territorial communities learn about their earthquake risk as they write or update their Hazard Mitigation Plan. This tool helps them assess earthquake hazards and create mitigation strategies. It includes practical advice for securing earthquake mitigation funding as well. Finally, it provides real-world examples of communities that are leading the way.

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FEMA P-232, Homebuilders' Guide to Earthquake-Resistant Design and Construction

This guide presents a plain-language overview of design and construction provisions important to the earthquake performance of one- and two-family detached dwellings and townhouses (referred to as dwellings and townhouses in this guide) constructed under the International Residential Code (IRC) (ICC, 2024a). The primary intended audiences for this guide are homebuilders, tradespeople working in the home building industry, and building department plan checkers and inspectors. Secondary audiences include architects, engineers, and homeowners with construction knowledge.

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Building Science Training Flyer

Building Science training courses allow participants to gain access to expert insights, cutting-edge research, and practical tools to address complex challenges in building design, construction, and resilience.

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Protect Yourself During an Earthquake (FEMA P-1078)

Do you know what to do, wherever you are, when the earth shakes? The second edition to this poster provides visuals and descriptions on how you can protect yourself when an earthquake occurs.

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Improving Performance of Buildings in Very High-Seismic Regions Volume 1 – Methods, Findings, and Recommendations (FEMA P-2343)

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Improving Performance of Buildings in Very High-Seismic Regions Volume 2 – Supporting Resources (FEMA P-2343)

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FEMA P-2055-1 Guidance for Accelerated Building Reoccupancy Programs

This guide has been prepared as a supplement to Post-disaster Building Safety Evaluation Guidance – Report on the Current State of Practice, including Recommendations Related to Structural and Nonstructural Safety and Habitability (FEMA P-2055). It presents recommnedations and discussion of key issues to inform local building departments officially known as Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) who may wish to implement an Accelerated Building Reoccupancy (ABR) program. The Guide also includes templates that may be useful for setting up a successful program, including:
• An agreement to be signed by the AHJ, building owner, and building safety evaluators establishing the scope and administration of the program
• A consultant agreement to be signed by the building owner and building safety evaluators
Updated file to correct page A-3, Table A-2 (page of the pdf). The second row in white for Culver City should say 2017 for Year of Adoption (instead of 2012).

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NETAP Resource Guide for Earthquake Program Managers