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.
Codes, Standards, and Permitting Mitigation Assessment Team Summary Report and Recommendations State of Hawai’i Maui Wildfires
Mitigation Assessment Team Summary Report and Recommendations State of Hawai’i Maui Wildfires
This brochure introduces the 2024 editions of seismic design maps developed under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and published in the International Residential Code (IRC) and International Building Code (IBC). The intended audiences include the general public, earthquake program managers, building officials, and designers using the IRC and IBC. New in the 2024 edition of the IBC are Seismic Design Category (SDC) maps, designating SDC based on a conservative assignment of default site conditions (Site Class), applicable for most building sites.
This Pocket Guide offers key messages to encourage the adoption, administration, implementation, and enforcement of up-to-date building codes, reducing disaster risks and protecting communities. It addresses common misunderstandings and provides effective communication strategies for conveying the value of building codes.
The Bulletins are changing to update and streamline their content and presentation. These changes are captured in this fact sheet.
Provides guidance on the NFIP regulations concerning the required use of flood-damage resistant construction materials for building components located below the Base Flood Elevation in Special Flood Hazard Areas (both A and V zones).
This sixth edition of FEMA P-320 presents updated and refined criteria for residential safe rooms through reference to the newly updated fifth edition of FEMA P-361, Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms (FEMA, 2024d). FEMA P-320 draws on these updated criteria to address how to design and construct a safe room for a one- or two-family dwelling that provides near-absolute protection from wind and wind-borne debris for occupants. It should be noted that the updates in this edition of FEMA P-320 focus guidance exclusively on residential safe rooms for one- and two-family dwellings. Prescriptive safe room designs that meet FEMA criteria for one- and two-family dwellings are also included as a part of this publication. The 2024 editions of this publication and FEMA P-361 supersede FEMA’s National Performance Criteria for Tornado Shelters (FEMA, 1999) as well as earlier versions of FEMA P-320.
This publication provides guidance from the FEMA about the planning, design, construction, and operation of safe rooms. It presents important information about the design and construction of residential and community safe rooms that will protect people during extreme-wind events such as tornadoes and hurricanes. This edition also features updated FEMA Funding Criteria for safe rooms and clarified guidance based on ICC 500-2023, Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters.
The Building Codes Save – Fire Hazards Pilot Study built upon the “Building Codes Save: A Nationwide Study of Loss Prevention” by evaluating financial and life safety savings due to modern building codes. Specifically, the Pilot Study expands the hazards analyzed to include structure fire and wildfire.
Prefabricated safe rooms are becoming more popular as people seek protection from tornadoes. Due to the extreme forces safe rooms may experience, there are very specific foundation and anchoring requirements that, if overlooked, can leave occupants at risk of injury or death during tornadoes. This fact sheet provides graphics and useful information about the foundation and anchoring criteria in FEMA P-361, Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms,