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DHS FEMA NFIP Services - eWaterwark Article
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Simple Retrofitting Can Save Money... and Your Home
Janice Roper-Graham, Outreach Process Partners
Hurricane Katrina drove 4 feet of water into Bruce Colby's Slidell, Louisiana, garage and 1 foot of
water into his home. Colby's neighbors' garage doors were blown out, and many garages will have to
be replaced due to structural damage. But Colby's garage doors are intact and his home is
structurally sound
(related
video).
Colby wasn't just lucky. He installed three International Code Council (ICC)-certified flood vents
before Katrina. But protecting his home was not the main reason Colby installed the flood vents.
Saving on flood insurance was. "My agent told me to get flood vents and so I did an Internet
search." Colby found an ICC-certified flood vent. ICC certification means the vent was rigorously
tested for performance under flood conditions, including debris-filled flood waters that could clog
ordinary vents.
NFIP policyholders in SFHAs may qualify for reduced premium rates by installing FEMA-approved flood
vents for residential basements, crawl spaces, garages, and other enclosed structures that are
below the BFE. Unlike air vents, flood vents are designed to open during flooding to allow water
flow and pressure to equalize. Normally these vents are closed to keep out animals and moisture.
Some models are sealed, allowing for air conditioned space on the interior. Other models are
temperature sensitive, opening during hot weather to allow air circulation. The key feature is that
the vent will open during a flood to allow the free flow of water through the structure.
This is important because, if the floodwater cannot equalize quickly enough, its pressure can
blow out doors and windows, increasing flood damages. Pressure from flood waters in enclosures
that are not properly vented may compromise the entire structure, resulting in the home's being
condemned. Proper flood venting will prevent this kind of loss.
Colby paid $600 for his three flood vents and saves $700 every year in flood insurance premiums
because of them. That is a $2,900 net savings over 5 years, a tidy return on his $600 outlay for
the flood vents. The fact that his garage survived and his home is structurally sound despite
Katrina's wrath underscores the real value of proper flood venting. A ride through his
devastated community illustrates what happened to many and could have happened to him.
Says Colby: "I don't know anyone who has a flood vent. No one around here knew what they were.
I guess it will all change now."
Janice Roper-Graham is the Managing Partner of Outreach Process Partners. A former journalist,
she specializes in writing about technical/engineering topics so the general public can understand
and apply the information.
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Check out FloodSmart.gov! |
| Business-Driven Technologies.
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| Last Modified:
Friday, 21 January 2011 |
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