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Guidelines for Mitigation and Personal Protection Common intervention methods reported in the literature for residential mitigation of mold hazards include: Location and removal of sources of moisture (control of
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In general, visual observation of active or past microbial growth, or measurement of mold in dust or samples of source material, can be used to establish potential for mold
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Help from Other Federal Agencies Several Federal agencies offer disaster assistance to communities and citizens. For a complete list of Federal assistance programs for which you may be eligible,
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FEMA and other Federal agencies have an array of financial assistance programs that assist States, communities, and individual property owners mitigate the negative effects of flood hazards. You may
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The following are recent examples of Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings reported by the media: Thanksgiving Day 2009: An early morning chimney fire destroyed a home in Magnolia,
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Technologies to detect and extinguish fires have been a major contributor to the drop in fire fatalities and injuries over the past 30 years. Smoke alarms are now present
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When Thanksgiving Day Fires in Residential Buildings Occur As shown in Figure 1, Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings occur most frequently in the afternoon hours from 12 to
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Building fires are divided into two classes of severity in NFIRS: “confined fires,” which are those fires confined to certain types of equipment or objects, and “nonconfined fires,” which
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In the years 2006 to 2008, an estimated 4,300 Thanksgiving Day fires occurred annually in the United States, causing 10 deaths, 50 injuries, and $30 million in property loss.
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Flood waters covered our food stored on shelves and in cabinets. What can I keep and what should I throw out? Do not eat any food that may have
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A flood, fire, national disaster, or loss of power from high winds, snow, or ice can jeopardize the safety of your food. Knowing how to determine if food is
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Hurricanes are violent storms which bring intense winds, heavy rain, storm surge, flooding, erosion, landslides and tornadoes. While it is difficult to predict the exact time, place, and force
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Landscaping to create Tick-Safe Zones “Tick-Safe Landscaping” techniques should be considered for homes, parks, fields, and recreational areas. Ixodes ticks need the higher humidity levels of the woodland to
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To provide communities with the information they need to enact and enforce floodplain management ordinances or laws, FEMA conducts floodplain studies for communities throughout the United States and publishes
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The NFIP Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements. The three goals of
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In most communities throughout the United States, construction in floodplains is governed by combinations of Federal, State, and local regulations. At the Federal level, FEMA administers the NFIP. Congress
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Floodwaters can pick up and carry objects of all types – from small to large, from light to heavy – including trees, portions of flood-damaged buildings, automobiles, boats, storage
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Rates of Rise and Fall You may not have heard these terms before, but they describe important characteristics of flooding: how rapidly the elevation (and therefore the depth) of
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You may have been told that your home is in “the 100-year” floodplain, or you may have heard that term used to describe a specific flood. You may also
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Flow velocity is the speed at which floodwaters move. It is usually measured in feet per second (fps). Flow velocities during riverine floods can easily reach 5 to 10
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The depth and elevation of flooding are so closely related that, for the purposes of this discussion, they can be viewed as a single characteristic. Flood depth is the
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To understand how flooding can damage your home, you need to know about six important flood characteristics: depth/elevation, flow velocity, frequency, rates of rise and fall, duration, and debris
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Your credit report contains information about where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued or arrested, or have filed for bankruptcy. Credit reporting companies
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Selection You can use a caulking compound to seal leaks in a variety of places throughout your home, including around windows and door frames. In addition to plugging air
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Warmed or air-conditioned air mixes with outside air through gaps in your home’s thermal envelope—exterior walls, windows, doors, the roof, and floors. Such air leaks can waste large amounts
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The winter months bring snow and ice storms, power outages and hazardous driving conditions. However, you can prepare for a disaster by taking a few steps to deal with
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It shouldn’t be a surprise that energy would be a hit in Texas—but 8,000 people on the first weekend to tour a home that uses less than half that
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Geothermal heat pumps are one of the most efficient ways to heat and cool a home and provide hot water. More and more homeowners are discovering the benefits of
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Southwest Windpower conducted performance optimization and blade-fatigue tests at the NWTC on its new Skystream wind turbine. The 1.8-kW turbine, developed in partnership with DOE, won the Best of
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No PV system is maintenance-free. Schedule regular inspections of your system to ensure that the wiring and contacts are free from corrosion, the modules are clear of debris, and
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The National Electric Code (NEC) was established in 1897 to ensure safety in all systems that generate, store, transport, and consume electricity. You or the dealer who installs your
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Loose-fill insulations are well suited for places where it is difficult to install other types of insulation, such as irregularly shaped areas, around obstructions (such as plumbing stacks), and
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Many suburban and urban land need loosening before you plant. If the soil is compressed until it an area of at least five times the diameter of the root
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Trees and shrubs come in all shapes and sizes. How you select your trees and shrubs and how to plant them will directly affect your home’s comfort and energy
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