Challenge: In September 2022, Hurricane Ian landed on Florida’s coast, causing 149 fatalities and $112 billion in damage, making it the most expensive hurricane in Florida's history and the third costliest in the history of the United States. Many parts of Florida lack sufficient shelter, leaving numerous residents without a safe refuge to withstand disasters of such magnitude.
Solution: A Florida community called Babcock Ranch proactively designed its hurricane storm shelter in response to frequent severe weather. During Hurricane Ian, the shelter was activated and provided refuge for residents from surrounding areas.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, FEMA’s Building Science Disaster Support Program deployed a Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) that visited the shelter to conduct an in-depth analysis. During their shelter assessment, the MAT meticulously examined its construction, structural integrity, and effectiveness in safeguarding residents during the hurricane. The resulting comprehensive assessment offered valuable insights that other communities seeking to enhance their hurricane preparedness and safety measures can utilize.
Babcock Ranch designed its storm shelter with the International Code Council (ICC) 500 standard as a guiding principle. ICC 500 has been referenced as the governing standard for the design and construction of storm shelters. It covers various storm shelters and safe room aspects, including structural design, materials, wind resistance, occupancy loads, and emergency communication systems. These guidelines intend to ensure these shelters can withstand high wind forces and debris impact, offering a safe refuge during severe weather events.
"Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms" (FEMA P-361) provides detailed guidance and requirements for designing and constructing safe rooms that can withstand tornadoes and hurricanes. These safe rooms must comply with ICC 500 requirements, FEMA funding criteria, and The Rehabilitation Act of 1973. When safe room designers, operators, and emergency managers follow FEMA P-361’s guidance in their projects, they can create public or private safe rooms that offer near complete protection from dangerous winds and flying debris during extreme wind events. Since P-361’s development in 2021, no reported failures of a shelter built to these guidelines have been reported.
Babcock Ranch’s storm shelter is 40,000 square feet with 28,000 square feet of usable space. The shelter can hold 1,340 evacuees and serves as the gym and cafeteria for the community high school. The shelter utilizes a "tilt-up" construction method, featuring solid concrete poured and then raised into position, secured by panels measuring nine and a quarter inches thick.
Dr. Jennifer Languell, Development and Resilience Advisor for Babcock Ranch, said, “I can tell you I feel proud. As someone who has been involved in the project for a very long time, we’re very thrilled to have this facility here.”
This collaborative effort between the local community and the MAT represents the significance of proactive disaster mitigation and the efficacy of community-driven solutions in addressing recurring severe weather challenges. Drawing from the MAT's findings, FEMA has released a video showcasing the shelter's specifics and the invaluable benefits it offers the community during natural hazard events.
Key Takeaways:
- Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc in Florida. The storm caused 149 fatalities and $112 billion in damage statewide. Numerous regions of Florida lack sufficient shelter, causing residents to be without a safe refuge in the event of natural hazards. Babcock Ranch's proactive measures protected residents from the hurricane, severely decreasing the chance of injuries or casualties.
- Babcock Ranch designed its storm shelter using the ICC 500 standards as a guiding principle. The shelter utilizes a "tilt-up" construction method, featuring solid concrete poured and then raised into position, secured by thick panels. Babcock Ranch’s storm shelter is 40,000 square feet with 28,000 square feet of usable space. The shelter can hold 1,340 evacuees and serves as more than just a shelter but also the community high school’s gym and cafeteria.
- FEMA P-361 points to the ICC 500 requirements but has more restrictive guidance. While the criteria for these shelters have stricter provisions, these standards provide near-absolute protection from wind and windborne debris for occupants.
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