1. Disaster Mitigation Techniques for Householders
Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction
Presented by: Stephen Hodges, Team of Consultants

2. How vulnerable is your home?

3. Some terms you will hear
Disaster – implies that normal systems have been overwhelmed
Hazard - such as a flood, which need not be a disaster
Mitigation – doing something to lessen or prevent the effects of a hazard (eg. Keep drains clean)
Preparation – being ready for the event, (eg. Raise the furniture)

4. What Hazards do we face? Hurricanes Earthquakes
High winds – shake - pressures
Storm surge
Flooding
Landslides
Earthquakes
Shaking
Liquefaction
Tsunami

5. What events can become disasters?
A Direct hit by a Hurricane
A passing hurricane or storm
Flood rains
Brush and household fires
Tsunami
Volcanos

6. How Hazards become Disasters
Hurricane winds damage roofs, fall trees and create flying debris
Hurricane waves and boulders damage houses
Hurricane storm surge floods homes
Intense rains flood homes
Fires get out of hand
Roads, power and communications get cut

7. The hazards, the site, shape, design

10. Earthquakes

11. Tectonic Plates

13. Floods

16. Infrastructure

20. Siting

22. Ask about past events

23. What can be done to reduce vulnerability?
Strengthen your house
Plant trees
Organise the community: to guide water to prevent flooding
to keep fire prone areas trimmed
to guide water from unstable slopes

24. Lessen the loads

25. “In the Caribbean, walls are there
Check the Load Path
“In the Caribbean, walls are there
to hold down the roof”

26. Raise the house

27. Gabion Baskets
Use them to train water courses and to protect houses

28. Train the ghauts

29. How to “Mitigate” disasters by design
Siting is crucial, away from the shoreline where the wind is greatest, the waves threaten and the storm surge (with the waves) can come on land.
Raise the house on solid columns to a level above potential floods or storm surges
Use a steep roof pitch and short overhangs to lessen the loads on the roof
Separating porch and garage roofs from the main roof prevents these more vulnerable elements from damaging the main house if they go

30. How to “Mitigate” disasters by attention to detail
Hurricane winds need not damage your roof if it is securely fastened with sufficient sheeting fixings, hurricane clips, braces and heavy duty roof coverings. Roof edges must be covered and eaves should be “boxed”
Hurricane shutters or boarding up protects the windows as well as preventing the wind pressure from getting in and lifting the roof
Remember that the walls need to be strong too

31. Connectors Make sure that the load path for your house is complete
Have your builder check for missing connectors

32. How to “Mitigate” disasters by Maintenance
Many houses fail because they are weak from rotten timber, termite attack, rusty clips and nails. Walls that have rotted get blown apart, buildings twist to the ground when braces fail, roofs lift off when connectors give way
Regular inspection and replacement of defective elements will keep your house stronger
Paint exterior woodwork to keep it dry
Fix leaks as soon as they occur, as wet wood rots

33. How to extend your house
Use columns or footings to support the extension that match the main house supports
Use a separate frame for the extension and bolt it firmly to the house frame
Avoid making corners that can trap the wind

34. Deterioration

35. How to “Mitigate” disasters by your action beforehand
Keep potential flying debris away from houses, trim nearby trees if tall enough to damage the house if they fall
Board up your windows before a storm
Keep bushes and shore plants between your house and the sea to prevent wave erosion
Keep drains clear to minimize flooding
Prepare to raise furniture should it flood
Control all sources of fire and fuel, particularly with children around

36. Fit shutters

37. Make a flood door

39. Tidy away potential missiles

40. The End Thank you for your attention