• Release of FEMA P-908 - 2011 Tornado MAT Report
• 2011 Coastal Construction Manual – FEMA P-55 Now Available
• Fourth Edition of FEMA E-74 Released
• Helpline Established
• Disaster prevention and response goal of FEMA, Code Council agreement

 Sign up to receive Building Science email updates

Release of FEMA P-908 - 2011 Tornado MAT Report

FEMA is pleased to announce the release of publication FEMA P-908, Mitigation Assessment Team Report – Spring 2011 Tornadoes: April 25-28 and May 22; Building Performance Observations, Recommendations, and Technical Guidance (May 2012).

This report is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the April 25–28, 2011 tornadoes in the southeastern United States and the May 22, 2011 tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri. This report is also dedicated to the families, friends, and communities suffering from their loss.

In response to this devastation, the FEMA Building Science Branch of the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA) deployed a Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) to Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee on May 6, 2011 to assess the damage caused by tornadoes occurring April 25 through April 28, 2011. Less than a month later, a powerful 0.75-mile-wide tornado struck Joplin, Missouri, destroying thousands of homes; FEMA once again deployed the MAT, on June 1, 2011, to assess the tornado damage in Joplin.

The report sets forth the MAT performance assessments of structures affected by the tornadoes, investigations of safe room and storm shelter performance, and documented lessons learned to help mitigate the loss of life and damage to buildings from future tornado events.

The MAT report is a compilation of input from a team of over 200 design and construction experts from various industry groups, academic institutions, non-profit associations, government agencies, and small businesses.

FEMA P-908 presents the MAT observations with 47 conclusions, and 49 recommendations directed at improving public safety and building performance during tornado events. The MAT report focuses primarily on the performance of the following types of construction:

• Residential buildings
• Industrial and commercial buildings
• Schools
• Critical facilities
• Safe rooms 

The conclusions and hundreds of photos presented in FEMA P-908 stem from core needs to:

• Adopt and implement current model building codes
• Build safe rooms
• Identify best-available tornado refuge areas in the absence of a safe room, storm shelter, or hardened area

Key recommendations include proposed changes to building codes, assessments of all new and existing critical facilities for use as tornado refuge areas, proposed protections to schools and further study into the behavior of individuals seeking refuge during tornadoes.

2011 Coastal Construction Manual – FEMA P-55 Now Available

The 2011 Coastal Construction Manual, Fourth Edition (FEMA P-55), is a two-volume publication that provides a comprehensive approach to planning, siting, designing, constructing, and maintaining homes in the coastal environment. Volume I provides information about hazard identification, siting decisions, regulatory requirements, economic implications, and risk management. The primary audience for Volume I is design professionals, officials, and those involved in the decision-making process.

Volume II contains in-depth descriptions of design, construction, and maintenance practices that, when followed, will increase the durability of residential buildings in the harsh coastal environment and reduce economic losses associated with coastal natural disasters. The primary audience for Volume II is the design professional who is familiar with building codes and standards and has a basic understanding of engineering principles.

For additional information on residential coastal construction, see the FEMA Residential Coastal Construction web site.

Fourth Edition of FEMA E-74 Released

The publication Reducing the Risks of Nonstructural Earthquake Damage: A Practical Guide, Fourth Edition (FEMA E-74) is now available through the Applied Technology Council (ATC) as an e-document only. Click here to find the document through the FEMA Library.

Helpline Established

The Building Science Branch has established a helpline (phone and email) for questions related to building science issues:

(866) 927-2104
FEMA-Buildingsciencehelphs

Please allow up to 5 business days for a response.

Disaster prevention and response goal of FEMA, Code Council agreement

The International Code Council and the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are teaming up to reduce the loss of life and property caused by natural disasters. A memorandum of understanding calls for FEMA and the Code Council to support the maintenance, adoption, outreach, training and enforcement of disaster-resistant building safety codes to reduce human and economic losses resulting from natural hazards including hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados and flooding. Click here to read more.