Building Disaster Resistant Neighborhoods

The purpose of this "Building A Disaster Resistant Neighborhood" activity is to provide you with information to help you begin the process of preparing yourself, your family and your neighborhood to better survive the next disaster.

It is 11:17AM in the morning on September 12 and a category 4 hurricane named Zena is making landfall in the southeastern United States. A storm surge of 18 feet brings waters of the Gulf of Mexico roaring into the coastal community of Hazardville, with 15 foot waves toping this moving wall of water. Sustained winds of 135 miles per hour tear at trees and buildings, turning loose objects into dangerous projectiles. Hurricane Zena will be the largest and strongest hurricane of the six month Hurricane Season.

It is now December 12, three months after Zena's landfall. In the shops, marinas and streets of Hazardville, crowds of tourists meander, the sun is shining, the skies are blue and the temperature is 71 degrees. It is another blissful day in Paradise, and the only reminders of the fury of three months ago are scattered fresh tree stumps, heavy equipment delivering and grading new beach sand in several storm washed areas, and the banging of hammers as minor repairs to several structures are being completed. The communities economy is booming, and all is well in Hazardville.

This scenario is immediately deemed as utopian fiction - memories of the devastation caused by hurricanes Hugo and Andrew spring to mind. No community could withstand such a powerful blow and come back to prosperity so quickly - RIGHT?

WRONG. Hazardville is a model Disaster Resistant Community in which all sectors have come together to identify common threats and fund preventative measures to reduce potential damage from future disasters. As part of Hazardville's disaster mitigation initiative, neighborhoods took the opportunity to identify the hazards they face and assess their vulnerability to these hazards, individuals and families came together to learn how to build a Disaster Resistant Neighborhood and funds were made available to help reduce damage and loss of life from the next disasters.

Disaster Resistant Neighborhood History 1998 - August - Implementation Tools 1998 - October - First Disaster Resistant Neighborhood 1999 - September - Habitat For Humanity Partnership 2000 - January - Macon Community Residentail Shutter Project 2001 - January - Wildfire Mitigation Workshop 2001 - February - Safe Room Construction 2001 - March - Disaster Education Outreach Tools 2004 - February - Sewer Backflow Valve Instalation 2004 - March - Disaster Resistant Neighborhood Trailer 2004 - May - Neighborhood Disaster Preparedness Workshop 2005 - April - Hurricane Armando - A Neighborhood Tabletop Exercise 2006 - January - Neighborhood Disaster Preparedness Workshop 2006 - April - Hurricane Zolo - A Neighborhood Tabletop Exercise 2007 - January - Disaster Resistant Neighborhood Proclamation 2007 - April - Pandeminc Pandemonium - A Neighborhood Tabletop Exercise

This survey is designed to help neighborhoods understand the risks they face and gain a stronger understanding of the measures that need to be taken so that they can become a "Disaster Resistant Neighborhood".

Hazard Zone Avalanche Civil Disturbance Coastal Erosion Coastal Storm Dam Failure Drought Earthquake Extreme Heat Fire Flood FreezingWeather Hailstorm Hazardous Materials Accident Hurricane Landslide Lightning Nuclear Power Plant Accident Severe Winter Storm Sink Hole Terrorism Thunderstorm Tornado Transportation Accident Tsunami Volcano Wildfire Windstorm Clicking on a hazard will assist you in identifying your risk to the listed hazard.

Preparedness Zone Avalanche Civil Disturbance Coastal Erosion Coastal Storm Dam Failure Drought Earthquake Extreme Heat Fire Flood FreezingWeather Hailstorm Hazardous Materials Accident Hurricane Landslide Lightning Nuclear Power Plant Accident Severe Winter Storm Sink Hole Terrorism Thunderstorm Tornado Transportation Accident Tsunami Volcano Wildfire Windstorm Clicking on a hazard will provide you with preparedness information to the listed hazard.

This Hazard Identification and Vulnerability Assessment (HIVA) will help you rank the threats which your neighborhood faces. Once you have completed the HIVA, you can click on the submit button and a HIVA worksheet will be e-mailed back to you. This worksheet will help you in preparing your neighborhood for the next disaster.

Neighborhood Hazard Identification and Vulnerability Assessments which have been recently completed by neighborhood associations just like yours can be fond at: Neighborhood HIVA.

Phase One - Hazard Identification - Across the country neighborhoods are vulnerable to many types of hazards. Rate these hazards in terms of possible impact on your neighborhood.

	Critical	Very Important	Important	Not Very Important	Not A Threat
Avalanche
Civil Disturbance
Coastal Erosion
Coastal Storm
Dam Failure
Drought
Earthquake
Extreme Heat
Fire
Flood
Freezing Weather
Hailstorm
Hazardous Materials Accident
Hurricane
Landslide
Lightning
Nuclear Power Plant Accident
Severe Winter Weather
Sink Hole
Tornado
Transportation Accident
Tsunami
Volcano
Wildfire
Windstorm

Phase Two - Neighborhood Profile - Basic information on your neighborhood.

Name:
Neighborhood's Name:
Primary E-Mail Address: (Required)
Secondary E-Mail Address:
State:
County: