Superstorm Sandy inundated the hallowed caverns of lower Manhattan and caused enough personal and financial disruption elsewhere in the city and region to spawn a boom in flood-resiliency efforts. As a consequence, the engineering community has been tasked with delivering cost-effective resiliency solutions for assets that range from single-family homes to entire cities. The foundation of flood damage prevention efforts lies at the local level, and a number of relatively low-cost solutions exist to reduce flood damages and associated claims. Here are eight practical ways to reduce the impact of the next major flood event.
1. Seal the envelope
The vast majority of assets within the floodplain are existing structures. Raising entire structures, while feasible and cost-effective for smaller facilities, is not usually an option. The dry flood-proofing industry, which has grown considerably in the past few years, provides cost-effective solutions for sealing a structure's envelope against floodwaters. Products now exist to make all building openings watertight, including flood-resistant windows, doors and louvers. Likewise, timber and masonry exteriors can be sealed to prevent the entry of floodwaters. Of course, even a well-sealed structure is at risk: As water rises and pools outside of a building, it introduces the possibility of overloading the walls. A structural engineering industry has grown to meet this potential problem, almost always presenting cost-effective solutions.
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- All PropertyCasualty360.com news coverage, best practices, and in-depth analysis.
- Educational webcasts, resources from industry leaders, and informative newsletters.
- Other award-winning websites including BenefitsPRO.com and ThinkAdvisor.com.
Already have an account? Sign In
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
