FEMA Building Science Resource Library

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has updated their most exhaustive collection of resource materials in FEMA's Building Science Resource Library (LINK HERE). 

The online repository contains easily accessed electronic copies of all of FEMA’s hazard-specific guidance that focuses on creating disaster-resistance communities. The collection is immense and incredibly useful as a reference for designers and owners. 

Even better, as the library's home page says: You can search for a document by its title, or filter the collection to browse by: 

• Disaster Type (High winds, flood, earthquake, etc.) 
• Document Type (Brochure, report, fact sheet, infographic, etc.) 
• Audience (Building professionals & engineers, individuals & homeowners, teachers & kids, etc.) 

I don't always post resources without commentary or recommendation, but this is an exception. This repository is well worth using. And its value is immediately evident! 

FOR EXAMPLE

A link provided on the web page (HERE) directs a viewer to a YouTube video of a webinar dealing with a topic at the core of this "Out of Harm's Way" page, specifically: 

Where you build something can be as important as how you build it.  

In other words, the webinar directly addresses the role of land use planning in hazard mitigation and how it's tied to building codes.  It also covers the role of FEMA's subsidiary partner "FIMA" (the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration) in helping communities address these issues in their planning efforts.