Hurricane damage assessment & damage repair or restoration procedures.

This article series provides residential & light construction hurricane damage assessment procedures for buildings following hurricanes or tropical storms and wind damage.

We discuss safe building entry procedures, setting the priority for repairs, and we give more detailed building inspection advice for building structures such as foundations & framing, and inspection and restoration of building mechanical systems.

We discuss initial or rapid steps to minimize building damage such as proper procedures for water removal, dryout, prevention of avoidable mold growth control, mold cleanup.

We also include links and citations to expert sources for emergency relief (FEMA, ARC in the U.S.), and we cite scholarly books and articles on building damage prevention. Our page top photo shows wind-damaged siding following a hurricane-type storm.

Hurricane Damage to Buildings: inspection, assessment, repair, prevention + hurricane safety advice

If a hurricane is likely in your area, these are things you should do:

• Listen to the radio or TV for information.
  
  Monitor NOAA, local radio and TV for emergency alerts and weather information.
• Secure your home, close storm shutters, and secure outdoor objects or bring them indoors.
• Turn off utilities if instructed to do so. Otherwise, turn the refrigerator thermostat to its coldest setting and keep its doors closed.
• Turn off propane tanks.· Avoid using the phone, except for serious emergencies.
• Moor your boat if time permits.
• Ensure a supply of water for sanitary purposes such as cleaning and flushing toilets. Fill the bathtub and other large containers with water.

When to leave your home in the face of a coming storm, hurricane, cyclone, or similar severe weather

Ahead of time: create an evacuation plan, prepare a survival kit, gather important documents to carry or ahead of time make electronic copies that are stored in the cloud or at a distant or relative's computer, and photograph your property and its condition.

• Leave your home if
  
  you are directed by local authorities to do so. Be sure to follow their instructions.
• Temporary structures
  
  are particularly vulnerable to storm damage and therefore are not safe places to stay if a hurricane is coming.
• Tall buildings, extra risky
  
  Because hurricane winds are stronger at higher elevations above ground, a tall building such as a high-rise apartment or hotel can be dangerous in a hurricane. I
  
  n an otherwise secure apartment near the top of a Chicago high rise we [DF] saw first hand how strong winds blowing off of the lake sent a torrent of water through the unit's lake-facing windows and doors. Damage from broken, flying glass was still worse.
• Buildings or private homes found on a coast, in a floodplain,
  
  including homes that are located near a river, or an inland waterway are at risk of being severely flooded and can even trap occupants who first flee to upper floors without understanding that in some areas flood waters can exceed even the rooftop height.
• If you feel unsafe for any reason
  
  Leave your home even if the conditions described above are not present but for any other reason you feel you are in danger. Examples might include risk of freezing from loss of heat, people who require special medical equipment that may fail during a storm, or if you live in an area where you feel unsafe due to violence.
  
  Watch out: do not try to swim, nor walk through flood waters deeper than 6"; don't drive through flood waters deeper than 12" (you can be swept away); avoid bridges over high, fast-moving water
  
  Head for a safe building that is nearby (or whose location is consistent with your local authorities' evacuation advice) and get inside it promptly.
• Move valuable items
  
  that are light-weight to higher floors in the building.
• Electrical Generators:
  
  
• if you have a backup generator check that it properly and safely installed (transfer switch, located outdoors, proper fuel source, fuel tank filled, installation inspected & approved) and confirm that the generator works as intended.
  
  Watch out: do not run a generator indoors: you can be killed by carbon monoxide gas.
  
  Watch out: do not store generator fuel indoors - that invites fire or explosion
• Exterior and yard items & Flying Debris:
  
  make sure that all loose objects have been removed from your yard and stored inside or are securely tied down before a hurricane hits.
  
  If your building has movable shutters that are not secured closed for window or door protection they still must be well secured to the building lest they become an airborne hazard themselves. For example decorative shutters mounted by simple screws to the building siding are not adequately secured. They must be fastened to building framing members.[7]
• Roof & surface drainage:
  
  during a hurricane is no time to be fooling with ladders; but ahead of time, keep the roof gutters clean and assure that surface runoff is directed away from the building.
• Sump pumps & basement de-watering systems:
  
  check that your pump(s) are working; in areas of frequent storms and power outages consider installing battery-backup sump pumps.
• Trees:
  
  trim trees and shrubs near the home to remove dead or weak branches; "topping" or "reducing" tall trees near a home by a tree service company ahead of time can make a significant reduction in the chances of trees blowing down and into or onto the home.
• Weak exterior structures like carports
  
  and sheds need to be strengthened ahead of time using appropriate steel brackets, anchor bolts connecting to piers or footings, or to the carport slab.
• Windows & all exterior and interior doors
  
  should be kept closed to compartmentalize indoor air pressure into smaller areas and to reduce the pressure on your roof; this can actually reduce roof damage.
  
  Garage doors: 
  
  be sure that your garage door is closed, and that its mounting hardware is un-damaged and secure. If the door seems loose or insecure, back your automobile up until its bumper gently touches the garage door to help resist damage.

If you are unable to evacuate, go to your safe room. If you do not have one, follow these guidelines

• Stay indoors
  
  during the hurricane and away from windows and glass doors.
  
  When high winds are the only concern (not flooding), shelter in windowless room or hallway or on the lowest floor of your home
• Close all interior doors
  
  secure and brace external doors.
• Keep curtains and blinds closed.
  
  Do not be fooled if there is a lull; it could be the eye of the storm - winds will pick up again.
• Take refuge
  
  in a small interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level.
• Lie on the floor
  
  under a table or another sturdy object.
• If you are trapped
  
  in a flooded building, move to the highest level of the structure but
  
  Watch out: do not climb into a closed attic from which there will be no escape should flood waters rise above the attic floor.

Hurricane Damage Prevention Advice for Homeowners

• Watch out: the first priority in event of a hurricane is getting out of your home and to a safe location.
  
  This article gives basic hurricane and wind storm safety advice adapted and expanded from FEMA & other sources
• Storm shutters:
  
  storm shutters that have been properly built, installed, and maintained are important to avoid building damage during a hurricane.
  
  If you don't have storm shutters windows can be covered with plywood.
  
  Do not rely on "taped X's" across window glass; that is not an effective safety measure.
  
  Sketch at left of two types of storm shutters from FEMA [8].
  
  Weather, salt, corrosion can prevent storm shutter operation when needed by making the shutters jam and fail to close. Quoting from FEMA's "Protection of Openings - Shutters and Glazing",
  
  According to the 2009 International Building Code (IBC) and the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC), hurricane-prone regions are areas vulnerable to hurricanes such as:
  
  1. The U.S. Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico coasts where the basic wind speed is greater than 90 mph1 (40 m/s).
  
  2. Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.
  
  Watch out: only install and use storm shutters or storm-resistant windows and doors that have been tested and approved and that bear a certification label indicating that the product has been tested and certified for impact resistance. (ASTM E1996-09 is an example standard for hurricane shutter. Additional standards for hurricane & wind resistance of structures are at the end of this article. [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18].
  
  Also make sure that the storm shutters are properly secured to the building. In coastal areas where there may be salt spray we've found (from my mom-DF) that roll-down type storm shutters may jam and fail to operate in an emergency - so it's a good idea to check the operation of these devices at least annually.
  
  FEMA adds these storm shutter protection code citations:
  
  Sections 1609.1.2 and R301.2.1.2, of the 2009 editions of the IBC and IRC, respectively, address the Protection of Openings.
  
  These sections state that in wind-borne debris regions, glazing in buildings shall be impact resistant or protected with an impact- resistant covering that meets the requirements of an approved impact-resistant standard or the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards ASTM E 1996 and ASTM E 1886. [8]
• Impact-resistant "hurricane glass"-
  
  a more costly improvement (used by our mom in Boca Raton FL) is the installation of "hurricane proof" shatter-resistant glass. For people who are in a more remote location and who themselves may be unable to operate their storm shutters in an emergency this safety improvement may be appropriate. But
  
  Watch out: hurricane-proof glass may not be all that "proof". The Espiritu Santo building in Brickell, the Four Seasons, and other glass towers in Florida all were badly damaged by hurricanes Katrina and Wilma.
  
  The large-object impact resistance of "hurricane glass" depends not only on the glass itself but the structure of the wall into which it is installed and the adequacy of the installation. See "Performance of Glass/Cladding..." in the page end references section.

The presence of an AMCA Publication 512 listing on a louver proves that it has passed its tests. Image courtesy AMCA International, cited below

at HURRICANE DAMAGE REFERENCES.

• Louver-covered building openings & equipment
  
  In the U.S. the IBC and the IMC require that only high-performance, hurricane-damage-resistant louver coverings can be used on building air intake and exhaust openings for mechanical systems and similar building openings. Louvers must be resistant to wind-borne debris as well as (in some designs) water entry.
  
  When installing mechanical equipment in wind-borne-debris regions, that is, in hurricane-prone areas within one mile (1.6KM) of the coastal mean high water line and where the design wind speed is 58 meters/second (130 mph) or greater, you should ask your supplier or installer to be sure that the equipment's exterior openings are protected in compliance with AMCA Standard 550 (for air intake and exhaust openings).
  
  The IBC (International Building Code) requires that louvers installed over intake and exhaust ventilation duct openings that are by default "closed" and that are 30 feet or less above ground should comply with AMCA Standard 540.
  
• Structural wood panels (plywood, OSB)
  
  for protection of building windows & doors against hurricane damage are an acceptable alternative to hurricane or storm shutters or impact-resistant windows and doors.
  
  But FEMA warns that the panels must be adequately secured in place on the building. Otherwise the risk is that the panels themselves become airborne hazards during the hurricane or other storm.
  
  Under provisions of the IRC, wood structural panels are permitted for buildings with a mean roof height of 33 feet (10,058 mm) or less where wind speeds do not exceed 130 mph2 (58 m/s). [7]
  
  Wood structural panels could be used as an alternative to provide protection so long as they meet local building code requirements.
  
  Panel attachment should be in accordance with Table 1609.1.2 (IBC) and Table R301.2.1.2 (IRC) and installed using corrosion-resistant attachment hardware and anchors permanently installed on the building.
  
  Under provisions of the IBC, wood structural panels are permitted for Group R-3 and R-4 buildings with a mean roof height of 45 feet (13,716 mm) or less where wind speeds do not exceed 140 mph (63 m/s).
  
  Under provisions of the IRC, wood structural panels are permitted for buildings with a mean roof height of 33 feet (10,058 mm) or less where wind speeds do not exceed 130 mph2 (58 m/s). Figure 1 shows a house utilizing wood structural panels to provide opening protection.[8]
• Structural connections: if a hurricane is coming, it's almost certainly too late to start modifying your home's structure to make it more earthquake or hurricane resistant, but during home renovations or repairs, and as part of a home inspection, make sure that the appropriate structural tie-downs and connectors have been installed to secure the building's roof to its walls and its walls to the foundation.
• Insurance coverage for hurricane damage:
  • Consult your homeowners' insurance company for their hurricane damage prevention advice and also to review your insurance coverage.
    
    Many homeowners policies exclude coverage for water damage due to flooding caused by a hurricane, covering only wind damage. Insurance policies that do include water damage from flooding may include a deductible amount, covering damages only above insurance provided by the National Flood Insurance Program - NFIP.
  • Inventory: make a photo-inventory of all of your possessions as well as the features of your home, inside and out, and store the data in a backup-copy off-site or at an online internet data service
    
• Insurance Company Advice on How to Prepare for a Hurricane
  
  The following is provided courtesy of USAA Insurance,
  
  Have a licensed contractor inspect the roof for signs of wear and tear.
  Quickly repair any wear and tear, and replace it when necessary.
  
  When repairing or replacing a roof, look for roofing materials rated by UL 2218 or FM 4473 as a class 3 or 4. These standards are recognized by any roofer or building materials store and indicate the material has been tested for impact resistance.
  Consider sealing your roof deck, which may help mitigate water damage to you home due to the loss of roof covering during a severe storm.
  
  Install protection for windows and doors, such as impact-rated hurricane shutters and bracing for garage doors. - retrieved 2021/07/07 original source: https://www.usaa.com/inet/wc/natural-disaster-preparation?wa_ref=cat_NDC_prepare
  
  When a hurricane is expected
  To protect your roof, close all windows and doors including interior, exterior and garage doors. If a window or door is broken or blown open, the home could fill rapidly with air. Cover your windows with storm shutters or plywood. - USAA Op. Cit.
• Sandbags: line the perimeter of the home with sandbags to help divert moving water away from the foundation

Windstorm Advice

See WIND DAMAGED BUILDINGS topic home page. Excerpts are below.

Trim back, cable-tie, or remove trees close to the building and have an arborist (tree specialist) inspect the health of large trees near the building.

Build or find a safe place to wait out a tornado. The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH®) recommends having a safe room or storm shelter professionally built [32] but in our estimate most homes do not have a specially-constructed storm shelter. But you may be able to reinforce a basement area or a closet or storage room to serve that purpose.

Tornado & Windstorm Safety Steps to Take After the Storm

Don't re-enter a building that may be unsafe due to collapse hazards, fire hazards, electrical shock hazards, or LP or natural gas leaks. BUILDING ENTRY for DAMAGE ASSESSMENT includes safety suggestions that pertain to wind, tornado, earthquake and other disasters as well. There we discuss how to enter a building safely and how to determine if it is safe to turn utilities back on.

References for the Prevention of Damage to Homes by Winds & Water Associated with Hurricanes

• FEMA, EXTERIOR CLADDING COMPONENTS AND BEST PRACTICES [PDF] U.S. FEMA, Federal Emergency Management Association, retrieved 2019/10/11 original source: https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1707-25045-0913/chapter9.pdf
  
• FEMA, HURRICANE KATRINA in the GULF COAST (FEMA 549) [PDF] (July 2006) Mitigation Assessment Team Report, Building Performance Observations, Recommendations, and Technical Guidance, U.S. FEMA, op. cit., retrieved 2019/10/11 original source: https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1520-20490-4067/549_cvr_toc.pdf
  
  Excerpt: The conclusions and recommendations of this Report are intended to provide decision-makers with information and technical guidance that can be used to reduce future hurricane damage.
• HAIL DAMAGED SHINGLES - inspection, assessment, diagnosis of hail damage to roofs
• See HURRICANE DAMAGED BUILDINGS - for some basic advice hurricane damage prevention advice from FEMA & other sources.
• See MOBILE HOME STABILIZING SYSTEMS
  
  and MOBILE HOME WIND RATINGS
• IBHS, FORTIFIED HOME™ TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS for Hurricane Damage Prevention Standards [PDF] Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety FORTIFIED HomeTM: Hurricane Standard published by the City of Fairhope, Alabama - retrieved 2023/02/06, original source: https://www.fairhopeal.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/21983/636928448124470000
  
  Introduction excerpt:
  The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s FORTIFIED HomeTM: Hurricane Standard helps homeowners in coastal areas strengthen their houses against these powerful storms.
  
  Incorporating FORTIFIED features when repairing, rebuilding or renovating your single-family home will transform your house into a more a resilient and durable property.
  
  The FORTIFIED features focus first on strengthening and protecting the roof because it is the home’s first line of defense against severe weather events.
  
  This can include things like sealing the roof deck to prevent wind-driven rain from getting inside, using roof covering that is rated for the wind speeds in your area to reduce the chances it will lift up or blow off during high winds, and using soffit vents that resist water intrusion.
  
  Protecting the openings in the house, such as doors and windows, also is important. One of the most effective FORTIFIED features you can incorporate when rebuilding is to think of your house as a system and create a continuous load path by tying the structural elements of the building together.
  
  Tying the roof to the walls, the walls to the floor and the floor to the foundation will significantly strengthen your home when Mother Nature strikes.
  
  For more detailed information about how to make your home stronger, safer and more hurricane-resistant, please visit www.DisasterSafety.org/FORTIFIED. Also, follow us on Twitter at @DisasterSafety and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/buildfortified.
  
  Excerpts:
  
  Hazard: Hurricane Locations where the design wind speed exceeds 90 mph as determined in ASCE7-05
  
• WIND DAMAGE to ROOFS includes examples that can help diagnose wind damaged roofing and we discuss nailing and other specifications for fastening roofing to reduce the risk of wind damaged shingles or roofing tiles. We include roof shingle wind damage, cause, evaluation, prevention, standards
• WOOD SHAKE & SHINGLE ROOFING discusses wood shake and wood shingle roof installation, inspection, damage and leak assessment, repair procedures & standards.
• Living in the Danger Zone: Realities about Hurricanes - book recommendation
• Allen, Myles. "2 Flooding, windstorms and climate change.", http://www.bvsde.paho.org/bvsacd/cd68/UK2008/cap2.pdf, retrieved 3/3/2013
• AMCA Standard 540, (2015) AMCA International, Air Movement and Control Association, AMCA International, 30 W. University Dr., Arlington Heights, IL 60004 USA, Tel: +1 847-394-0150 Email: communications@amca.org Website: www.amca.org
  
  Scope:
  The scope of this standard is for impact testing of louvers used on the outside of buildings as required by the ICC International Building Code [3] and the ICC International Residential Code [4].
  
  The following precautionary statement pertains only to the test method portion, Section 5, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of the regulatory limitations prior to use.
  
  Purpose
  The purpose of this standard is to establish uniform methods for laboratory testing of louvers that are impact tested with the large missile described in ASTM E 1996-04 [1] and E 1886-05 [2].
• AMCA Standard 550 (2013) Test Standard for intake and exhaust louvers simulating wind speeds to 110 mph and external rainfall of 8.8 in/hr. To pass AMCA 550, no more than 1% of the total sprayed water volume may penetrate the louver.
  
  Scope: Tests conducted in accordance with the requirements of this standard are intended to demonstrate the acceptability of the louver in which water infiltration must be kept to manageable amounts during a high velocity wind driven rain event. The test specimen can be approved in either an open or closed position as stated in Section 5.
  
  Purpose: This standard establishes uniform laboratory test methods and minimum performance ratings for water rejection capabilities of louvers intended to be used in high velocity wind conditions.
• Ayscue, Jon K. Hurricane damage to residential structures: risk and mitigation. Natural Hazard Research and Applications Information Center, Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado, 1996.
• [7] FEMA, "Protection of Openings - Shutters and Glazing", www.fema.gov, retrieved 3/5/2013.
• [8] FEMA, "Home Builder's Guide to Coastal Construction", FEMA P-499 www.fema.gov, retrieved 3/5/2013,
• [9] American Society of Civil Engineers. Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, ASCE/SEI 7-10. (http://www.asce.org)
• [10] The Engineered Wood Association (APA). Hurricane Shutter Designs Set 5 of 5. Hurricane shutter designs for wood frame and masonry buildings. (http://www. apawood.org)
• [11] International Code Council. International Building Code. 2009. (http://www.iccsafe.org)
• [12] International Code Council. International Residential Code. 2009. (http://www.iccsafe.org)
• [13] ASTM E1886, Performance of Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, Doors, and Storm Shutters Impacted by Missile(s) and Exposed to Cyclic Pressure Differentials
• [14] ASTM E1996, Standard Specification for Performance of Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, Doors and Impact Protective Systems Impacted by Windborne Debris in Hurricane
• [15] ASTM E2112, Standard Practice for Installation of Exterior Windows, Doors and Skylights
• [16] ASTM E330, Structural Performance of Exterior Windows, Doors, Skylights and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference. (http:// www.astm.org)
• [17] Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association: DASMA 108, Standard Method for Testing Sectional Garage Doors: Determination of Structural Performance Under Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference
• [18] FEMA, Asphalt Shingle Roofing for High Wind Regions, Home Builder's Guide to Coastal Construction, Technical Guide No. 73, retrieved 3/5/13
• Prevatt, D. O., G. M. Marcelle, I. Kelman, L. A. Dupigny-Giroux, and F. J. Masters. "On Reducing Hurricane Damage to Housing in the Caribbean Islands.", http://www.davidoprevatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/prevatt-et-al-on-reducing-hurricane-damage-to-housing-in-the-caribbean-islands-atc-2010.pdf, retrieved 03/03/2013
• [31] USAA, " What Homeowners Insurance Doesn't Cover - Having a policy in place doesn't necessarily mean your home and belongings are protected against all losses", USAA 9800 Fredericksburg Road San Antonio, TX 78288, https://www.usaa.com/inet/pages/ advice-disaster-whatsnotcovered? offerName=prihome_advice-disaster-whatsnotcovered, retrieved 3/5/2013
• [32] Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH®), 1427 E. Piedmont Dr., Suite 2 | Tallahassee, FL 32308website: http://www.flash.org/, Tel: 877.221.SAFE, Email: info@flash.org, retrieved 3/5/2013; quoting: The non-profit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes is the country’s leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters. FLASH provdes a "Homeowner's Insurace Guide to Natural Disasters"

...

Continue reading at ROOF DAMAGE, WIND or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

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• BUILDING DAMAGE ASSESSMENT & REPAIR - home
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• HURRICANE, WIND, & STORM-RESISTANT WINDOWS
• ROOF DAMAGE, WIND
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• WIND DAMAGED BUILDINGS

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