Building Science Disaster Support Program

For more than 30 years, the Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) Program has been drawing on the combined resources of a federal, state, local, and private sector partnership. The MAT Program allows FEMA to assemble and quickly deploy teams of investigators. These investigators evaluate the performance of buildings and related infrastructure in response to the effects of natural and man-made hazards. The teams conduct field investigations at disaster sites; work closely with local and state officials to develop recommendations for improvements in building design and construction; and develop recommendations concerning code development and enforcement, and mitigation activities that will lead to greater resistance to hazard events.

Timeline from 1993 to 2019 noting the year publications were released.

FEMA publishes the observations and recommendations of a Mitigation Assessment Team in reports. The award-winning MAT Program, operated by a consulting engineering firm under contract to FEMA, has been covered by the national media and featured in numerous technical and professional journals.

Products

The resources below have been developed by the Building Science Branch of FEMA's Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration. They cover natural and man-made hazards.

Decreasing Risk of Structure-to-Structure Fire Spread in a Wildfire

The purpose of this document is to provide recommendations to contractors and designers on new building construction that may prevent or slow the spread of a fire from structure-to-structure in densely-spaced neighborhoods.

Wildfire-Resilient Detailing, Joint Systems and Interfaces of Building Components

This document provides information on ways to reduce the vulnerability of residential structures to wildfire ignition due to windborne embers, hot gases, and flames penetrating common detailing joints and building component interfaces that exist throughout the exterior envelope of a building. This document provides information on measures that builders, contractors, and other design professionals can take to “seal” gaps at joints and retrofit building components and interfaces on the exterior surfaces. While the primary focus of this document is to provide guidance on retrofitting existing residential homes, many of the recommendations for increasing wildfire resiliency of common details, joint systems, and building component interfaces would also be applicable to new construction and commercial buildings.

Homeowner’s Guide to Reducing Wildfire Risk Through Defensible Space

This document provides homeowners with steps they can take now to protect their homes from loss or damage from wildfires due to vulnerabilities introduced by surrounding landscaping and other exterior features (e.g., outbuildings, sheds, furniture, and trash bins) within the homeowner’s property. The goal is to increase homeowner awareness of the key mechanisms and characteristics of Wildfire and the Wildland Urban Interface fires that can result in home ignition.

Homeowner’s Guide to Reducing Risk of Structure Ignition from Wildfire

This document provides homeowners with steps they can take now to decrease the likelihood their homes will ignite due to direct flame contact, ember intrusion, or hot gases from wildfires at various physical vulnerabilities throughout the exterior envelope of the house. Specifically, it provides information about some measures that homeowners can take to address vulnerabilities at joints, gaps, vents, and attachments such as decks and fences.

Homeowner's Guide to Risk Reduction and Remediation of Residential Smoke Damage

The purpose of this document is to provide recommendations to homeowners for pre-wildfire measures to help reduce the risk of smoke damage and do-it-yourself (DIY) steps that homeowners can take to remediate light to moderate smoke damage. This document also includes recommendations for selecting and monitoring a professional cleaning services contractor for heavy smoke damage.

Building the Case for Open Space (Foundations)

Each year, Americans suffer millions of dollars in losses due to flooding. Elevating homes using local freeboard requirements provides significant protection from the risk of this hazard. By choosing more resilient construction methods in concert with increased freeboard, we can build a more resilient future and community. Such options are more cost-effective than ever before and provide co-benefits to property owners and the local community within the floodplain.

Hurricane Ida DRRA Section 1206 Implementation Case Study

This study reviews the implementation of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) Section 1206 Policy implemented after Hurricane Ida in Louisiana (DR-4611) and shares the lessons learned for future state, local, tribal, and territorial governments looking to implement this type of project.

2021 Kentucky Tornadoes Recovery Advisory 2: Reconstructing a Non-Residential Building After a Tornado

The December 2021 tornadoes that struck Kentucky and surrounding states highlighted the importance of assessing and mitigating the wind vulnerability of existing buildings and improving the resistance to tornado hazards for new buildings. The purpose of this Recovery Advisory (RA) is to emphasize the importance of building codes and introduce best practices intended to minimize tornado damage as part of the rebuilding effort for non-residential buildings that are not essential facilities

2021 Kentucky Tornadoes Recovery Advisory 1: Essential Facilities Located in Tornado-Prone Regions: Recommendations for Facility Owners

The December 2021 tornadoes that struck Kentucky and surrounding states highlighted the importance of assessing and mitigating the extreme-wind vulnerability of existing essential facilities and improving the tornado damage resistance of new essential facilities. The purpose of this advisory is to inform essential facility owners, operators, and planners of ways to improve the tornado performance of their existing or new essential facilities and how to reduce loss of functionality of the facility during and after a tornado.

Improving Windstorm and Tornado Resilience: Recommendations for One- and Two-Family Residential Structures

The purpose of this fact sheet is to provide a brief overview of building envelope and load path improvements to reduce damage to wood-framed, one- and two-family residential structures when impacted by tornadoes rated on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale as EF2 or less intensity, and indirectly by tornadoes with a greater EF rating.

Design Guide for New Tornado Load Requirements in ASCE 7-22

This instructional guidance is for design professionals and building officials to help them determine when a building or other structure is required to be designed to minimum tornado loads and how to calculate design tornado forces. This guide is in accordance with the updated requirements of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) / Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) standard ASCE 7-22, Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures.

CNMI MAT: Permitting and Inspection Process for Disaster-Resilient Residential Homes

This fact sheet informs homeowners or their designated representatives—such as a contractor—about the permitting and inspection process, which helps protect the homes, lands, and natural resources of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). By completing these steps and responsibilities as described, your home will be more resilient to natural disasters.

CNMI MAT 1: Maintenance and Retrofit Options for Roof Coverings, Opening Protection Systems, and Exterior Building Elements

The purpose of this fact sheet is to provide cost-effective ways to reduce disaster damages and increase the life expectancy of residential buildings in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). This fact sheet describes many affordable solutions, including lower-cost maintenance recommendations and higher-cost retrofits.

CNMI MAT 2: Maintenance and Retrofit Options for Key Building Systems

The purpose of this fact sheet is to provide options to reduce disaster damage, minimize repair costs, and reduce service losses for key building systems in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). This fact sheet describes lower-cost maintenance recommendations and higher-cost wind retrofits to improve building performance in future disasters.

CNMI RA-1: Code-Based Wind-Resistant Roofing for Homes: Reducing Wind Damage in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

This Recovery Advisory focuses on residential roof construction and materials, and roof-to-wall connections. It also details a seven-step process for enhancing your safety by improving the performance of your home during high winds.

CNMI RA-2: Mitigating Wind Damage to Existing Critical Facilities

This Recovery Advisory provides information to reduce critical facility vulnerability to damage from high wind, including suggestions for assessing the vulnerability of a critical facility to future hazards. The information in this advisory is most useful for retrofits of existing buildings, but also references design guidance appropriate for new construction.

Mitigation Assessment Teams: Building Stronger and Safer

Overview of the Mitigation Assessment Team Program.

FEMA P-2054, Mitigation Assessment Team Compendium Report

The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was extremely active, producing 17 named storms. Six of these storms became major hurricanes (Category 3, 4, or 5), and three ranked in the National Hurricane Center’s (NHC’s) top five hurricanes with the greatest cumulative damage.

FEMA P-2023, Mitigation Assessment Team Report: Hurricane Irma in Florida

Building Performance Observations, Recommendations, and Technical Guidance

FEMA P-2022, Mitigation Assessment Team Report: Hurricane Harvey in Texas

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Last updated June 7, 2023
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