1. Community Development Services
El Dorado County
Community Development Services
Planning and Building
Goal: To promote building to code to prepare for disasters

2. It started out as a beautiful day, but in a disaster anything can happen at any time...

3. Preparing for Disaster
Build Smart
Build Strong
2014 King Fire
View from South Lake Tahoe

4. What is the most common natural disaster in the United States?
A. Earthquakes
B. Tornados
C. Tsunamis
D. Hurricanes
E. Floods
E. Floods .

5. 43%
Flooding in South Lake Tahoe
In the last 20 years, flooding has been the most common natural disaster, accounting for 43 % of all recorded events.

6. Mitigating Flood Damage
Elevate your furnace, water heater, and electric panel in your home.
Install check valves to prevent flood water from backing up into the drains of your home.
Seal walls in your basement with waterproofing compounds.
When practical, homeowners can construct barriers (such as sandbagging) to stop flood water from entering your home.

7. Mitigating Flood Damage
If you are building, improving, or retrofitting your home, consult with your local building official:
Best method of protecting your home is to raise it above the predicted level of any flood water by at least one foot; this is called freeboard.

8. Mitigating Flood Damage
If you are building, improving, or retrofitting your home, consult with your local building official:
Wet flood proofing your home allows flood water to flow through uninhabited parts, such as the crawl space or garage, by installing flood vents.

9. Mitigating Flood Damage
If you are building, improving, or retrofitting your home, consult with your local building official:
Construct non-supporting, break-a-way walls designed to collapse under the force of water without causing damage to the foundation.

10. California Natural Disasters
January 1997 Yuba County
October 1991 Tunnel Fire, Oakland Hills
June 2007 Angora Fire
October 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake

11. World Series Earthquake
Property Loss
Angora Fire
2007
The Angora Fire started June 24, 2007 near North Upper Truckee Road near Angora Lakes in El Dorado County.
$160 Mil
254 homes destroyed
Camp Fire
2018
The Camp Fire was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California. The fire started on November 8, 2018 in Butte County.
$16.4 Bil
18,804 Buildings destroyed
World Series Earthquake
1989
The 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake occurred on October 17, Today the equivalent damage would cost $11.3 to $12.1 billion.
$5.0 Bil
14,600 Buildings destroyed

12. Survival Code The Herr’s Home was built in 2010.
The family credits its survival to its construction features.
And their attention to defensible space.
Half of the homes in Paradise built under strict building codes survived the Camp Fire.
Survival Code article in Sacramento Bee April 14, 2019, research and report by Dale Kasler and Phillip Reese.
The Herr’s home was built in 2010, and the family credits its survival to its construction features and their attention to defensible space.

13. Building Codes don’t guarantee our protection from tragedy, but when crafted with care and foresight they can at least give us a fighting chance.

14. Prepare for Disasters: Build Strong, Build Smart
Build to code
Talk to Local Code Officials
Obtain Permits
Prepare your family
Have a family action plan
Review Evacuation Plan
Protect your home .
Maintain Defensible Space
Use Fire-resistant Building Materials

15. Build Strong, Build Smart
Prepare for Disasters
Build to Latest Code
Talk to local Code Officials
Obtain Permits
Prepare Your Family
Develop a Family Action Plan
Review Evacuation Route
Build Strong,
Build Smart .
Protect Your Home
Maintain Defensible Space
Use Fire Resistant Building Materials
Community Resilience
Adoption & Administration of Building Codes
Enforcement of Building codes

16. Value of Code Officials
INSERT VIDEO
LINK:

17. BUILD SMART, BUILD STRONG
Building to the lastest codes greatly reduces property damage during a disaster.
A building code is the government’s official statement on building safety.
Building codes include all aspects of building construction: fire, structural, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical.

18. When you partner with your local expert code officials, you benefit from their knowledge of building codes, making sure your construction project is built right and safe. This helps to reduce property damage and loss from all forms of natural disasters.

19. Fire Resistant Building
Link:

20. PROTECT YOUR HOME You can create a defensible space against wildfires
Rake and clear out leaves
Places where you see leaves collect could result in the wind carrying burning embers if a fire were to start.
Clear out dead brush and dense vegetation.

21. PROTECT YOUR HOME You can create a defensible space against wildfires
Store firewood and other items that burn easily at least 30 feet and up to 100 feet away from your house.
Landscape with high moisture content plants
This can help to create a firebreak around your home.

22. Reduced Fuel Zone Ft
Lean, Clean, and Green Zone Ft

23. Your Home and Wildfire INSERT VIDEO LINK:

24. Prepare Your Family
Your home needs 3 key elements in place:
Evacuation Plan
Communication Plan
Emergency Supply Kit
Depending on the type of disaster you may have to travel 20 to 50 miles to get your family to safety.

25. Community Resilience Standards
Adoption
Administration
Enforcement
Adopted codes and standards provide local governments the tools to enforce safety and health codes.
Local governments adoption of building and planning codes are what protect the health and safety of the community.
By human, technical, and financial resources, permiting, plan review, and inspections in the community lessen the impact of disasters.
Goal: Community Resilience Standards are facilitated by the adoption, administration and enforcement of building codes and local ordiances.
Adoption
Administration
Enforcement

26. Community Resilience Community Resilience
When disaster strikes, all of the gears of the local system must continue to function
When disaster strikes, all of the gears of the local system must continue to function

27. Community Resilience INSERT VIDEO Link

28. In its most recent five-year strategic plan, FEMA states that ‘disaster resilience starts with building codes, because they enhance public safety and property protection.’

29. “No Code. No Confidence.”
Be confident, talk to your local building officials to ensure that your construction project is built with the latest building codes to ensure health and safety.
El Dorado County
Planning & Building Department

30. RESOURCES www.disasterresponse.org/resources
edcgov.us/Pages/Emergency-Services.aspx
edcgov.us/Government/AirQualityManagement/