Homeowner's Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards
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Resilient ▪ Adaptive ▪ Sustainable University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program HOMEOWNER’S HANDBOOK TO PREPARE FOR NATURAL HAZARDS FOR NATURAL HANDBOOK TO PREPARE HOMEOWNER’S TSUNAMIS HURRICANES EARTHQUAKES By Dennis J. Hwang Darren K. Okimoto FLOODS VOLCANO CLIMATE CHANGE Hawai‘i Sea Grant Fourth Edition By Dennis J. Hwang Darren K. Okimoto September 2019 Published by the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program Fourth Edition, Version 4.0 Contents Part 1 Introduction............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Common Myths and Reasons to Prepare..................................................... 3 1.2 Ten Things Homeowners Can Do to Prepare................................................. 8 Part 2 Natural Hazards: An Overview for Homeowners.................................. 12 2.1 Tsunami Hazards in Hawai‘i........................................................................... 12 2.2 Hurricane Hazards in Hawai‘i......................................................................... 15 2.3 Earthquake Hazards in Hawai‘i....................................................................... 21 2.4 Flood Hazards in Hawai‘i................................................................................ 23 2.5 Volcano Hazards in Hawai‘i............................................................................ 25 2.6 Climate Change in Hawai‘i............................................................................. 29 2.6.1 Drought................................................................................................. 29 2.6.2 Wildfire.................................................................................................. 30 2.6.3 Extreme Heat......................................................................................... 32 2.6.4 Infectious Disease................................................................................. 32 2.6.5 Sea-level Rise........................................................................................ 33 2.6.6 Beach Erosion....................................................................................... 34 Part 3 Protecting Yourself and Your Family......................................................... 36 3.1 Emergency Supplies....................................................................................... 36 3.2 Evacuation Kit................................................................................................ 39 3.3 Evacuation Planning....................................................................................... 40 3.3.1 Key Definitions..................................................................................... 42 3.3.2 Emergency Alert System....................................................................... 44 3.4 Evacuation Plan for a Tsunami....................................................................... 46 3.5 Preparations Before a Hurricane.................................................................... 53 3.6 Evacuation Plan for a Hurricane.................................................................... 54 3.7 Evacuation Procedures for a Flood................................................................ 60 3.8 Evacuation Procedures for an Earthquake...................................................... 60 3.9 Summary......................................................................................................... 61 Part 4 Protecting Property............................................................................................ 63 4.1 Concept 1: Continuous Load Path Connection............................................... 66 4.1.1 Guide to Installing the Hawai‘i Plantation Tie Hurricane Clip............. 72 4.1.2 Wall-to-Foundation Connection............................................................ 76 4.1.3 Continuous Load Path for Double-Wall Houses................................... 80 4.2 Concept 2: Creating the Wind- and Rain-Resistant Envelope......................... 87 4.3 Window Coverings.......................................................................................... 88 4.3.1 Roll-down Shutters................................................................................ 88 4.3.2 Bahama Shutters................................................................................... 89 4.3.3 Colonial Shutters................................................................................... 90 4.3.4 Accordion Shutters................................................................................ 90 4.3.5 Storm Panels.......................................................................................... 91 4.3.6 Impact-Resistant Glass Systems........................................................... 92 4.3.7 Laminates.............................................................................................. 93 4.3.8 Hurricane Mesh, Screen, or Fabric....................................................... 94 4.3.9 Plastic Honeycomb Panels.................................................................... 95 4.3.10 Plywood Shutters................................................................................ 95 4.4 Installing Plywood Shutters............................................................................. 98 4.4.1 Obtaining Assistance............................................................................. 98 4.4.2 Material to Use...................................................................................... 98 4.4.3 Measuring the Windows and Cutting the Plywood............................... 99 4.4.4 Fasteners and Attaching the Panels.......................................................101 4.4.5 Deployment...........................................................................................102 4.4.6 Other Methods of Installation...............................................................103 4.4.7 Simpson Strong-Tie Storm Panel Screws.............................................104 4.4.8 Larger Windows....................................................................................107 4.4.9 Storing Plywood Panels........................................................................109 4.4.10 Timing Deployment with a Hurricane Watch or Warning...................109 4.5 Other Wind-Resistive Device Retrofits...........................................................110 4.6 Roofing............................................................................................................112 4.6.1 Ridge Vents...........................................................................................118 4.6.2 Truss Bracing........................................................................................120 4.7 Solar Photovoltaic...........................................................................................123 4.8 Exterior Opening Protection (Garage and Doors)...........................................128 4.9 Safe Room.......................................................................................................130 4.9.1 The Safe Room: Tax Credits and Cost..................................................130 4.10 Trees..............................................................................................................131 4.11 Earthquake Retrofit.......................................................................................132 4.12 Flood Retrofit................................................................................................133 4.13 Wildfire..........................................................................................................134 4.14 Electrical Issues for the House......................................................................135 4.14.1 Energy Efficiency................................................................................136 4.14.2 Generators...........................................................................................138 4.14.3 Power Stations.....................................................................................139 4.15 Licensed Contractors.....................................................................................140 Part 5 Protecting Property with Insurance.........................................................142 5.1 Hurricane Insurance........................................................................................142 5.1.1 Insurance Discounts for Installation of Hurricane Protection...............144 5.2 Flood Insurance...............................................................................................145 5.3 Earthquake Insurance......................................................................................146 5.4 Miscellaneous Insurance Issues.......................................................................147 Appendix A Emergency Contacts................................................................................148 Appendix B Resilience, Adaptation, and Sustainability..............................................149 Appendix C Working with the Community.................................................................151 Appendix D After the Storm........................................................................................154 Useful Links................................................................................................................156 Reference Links...........................................................................................................158