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Pierce County, WA: Using Community Lifelines to Increase Community Engagement
Pierce County’s All Hazard Mitigation Plan covers over 900,000 residents across 76 jurisdictions. A key part of the planning process is to seek input from all individuals and groups. Those who do not take part in updating the plan are less likely to understand or use it. With 76 jurisdictions and many partners, it was hard to engage everyone in the planning process. Also, once the HMP was updated, they all had to adopt the plan. The jurisdictions had different timelines, and the county has many hazards. It needed a planning process for all members of the area that would help address each hazard risk.
Bring Out the Sheep
Wildfire fuel reduction using goat and sheep grazing can be funded by FEMA.
Oyster Lake Outfall Improvement
When a coastal dune lake reaches a high water level, flow breaks through the dune system forming a channel between the lake and the Gulf. Oyster Lake’s outfall is critical for regulating water levels and mitigating flooding.
Mitigation Minute: Native Village of Newtok
FEMA awards $6.7 million for Native Village of Newtok, Alaska, relocation efforts.
Delaware State Park Tornado Shelter
FEMA-funded Ohio safe room provides shelter during two recent tornadoes.
Mitigation Minute: Native Village of Ouzinkie
BRIC Direct Technical Assistance helps Alaskan tribe develop hazard mitigation plan, enables new tsunami shelter project.
Building Code Lessons From the 1994 Northridge Earthquake
At 4:30 a.m. on January 17, 1994, the M6.7 Northridge struck in the San Fernando Valley, roughly 20 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Although the duration was only 10 to 20 seconds, the ground motions included a reading of 1.82g, the highest ever recorded in an urban area in North America, and the MMI was IX (violent). The earthquake resulted in around 60 fatalities, and damage estimates were as high as $50 billion.
The Role of Florida’s Building Codes in 2018 Hurricane Michael
The State of Florida first adopted a statewide minimum building code in 1974. However, that code allowed local governments to adopt one of four different codes that they could amend and enforce as they saw fit. When Hurricane Andrew struck south Florida in 1992, it broke all records for insured losses and became Florida’s worst insurance crisis in history. It quickly became obvious that Florida’s building code system was not adequate and that improvements were needed for the entire state.
How Building Codes Have Changed the Lives of U.S. Virgin Island Residents
In 1995, within two weeks, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) were hit by Hurricane Luis and Hurricane Marilyn. Hurricane Luis caused $300 million worth of damage, while Hurricane Marilyn caused even more of an impact. Marilyn was responsible for eight deaths and the loss or damage of 21,000 homes, including 75% of the residences on St. Thomas. As a result, USVI damage estimates from Hurricane Marilyn were $2.1 billion.
Harnessing Knowledge for Impact: Hurricane Ian MAT Report
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian’s devastating impact on Florida in 2022, the need for information on resilience and mitigation against future disasters became abundantly clear.