Your Roof:

Roof's catch the brunt of wind and wind driven rain. Reinforce your roof's framing connections from the rafters to the foundation to hold together in the face of storms. The most common technique involves installing anchor bolts and metal plates and straps to strengthen connections. Roof straps, also known as hurricane straps, more firmly affix the house’s roof to load bearing walls, resulting in the roof being less likely to blow off in high winds. Straps, rather than clips, should connect wall framing to each rafter or truss. Install in correct. Many roofing failures occur because the shingles are not installed properly. Something as simple as using all the required nails in a shingle or the addition of roof straps can make a big difference.

Shutters:

The building code requires that windows be protected from flying debris when the building is located in an area where the design wind speed is 120 per hour or greater. Using impact resistant windows or covering the windows with impact resistant shutters can provide protection. Adding window protection is not required, it’s just better to be safe than sorry.

Elevation:

Elevation becomes a requirement when a building in a flood prone area has been substantially damaged or is being substantially improved. Substantially damaged or improved is defined by the Briggert-Waters Act of 2012 as when the cost of the improvement equals or exceeds 30 percent of the market value of the structure before the “start of construction” of the improvement.

Building Codes:

Building codes are put into place to help you build safer, stronger, and smarter. For better protection, use code requirements for higher-risk zones. This can help protect your home or business from future hazards. Ask your developer, contractor, or local building code official to help you identify the risks your home or business may have, as well as mitigation techniques that provide extra protection. Lousiana has adopted International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 and uses this as the residential building code standard.

Insurance:

FEMA's Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA) manages the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and implements a variety of programs authorized by Congress to reduce losses that may result from natural disasters. Effective mitigation efforts can break the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage. FEMA's mitigation and insurance efforts are organized into three primary activities that help States, Tribes, Territories, and localities achieve the highest level of mitigation: Risk Analysis, Risk Reduction, and Risk Insurance. Through these activities and FEMA's day-to-day work across the country, communities are able to make better mitigation decisions before, between, and after disasters.