Presentation on Construction Standards in Flood Zones and Procedures for Rebuilding After Sandy

On January 22nd, 2013, The Building Code Committee of the New York Chapter of the AIA presented a practical course, Construction Standards in Flood Zones and Procedures for Rebuilding After Sandy.  The presented course covers construction standards in flood zones, including new construction, substantial damage, substantial improvement, alterations, and repairs. Also covered, are the regulatory framework for design and construction in flood zones, including areas regulated by the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation.

Click Here to download the presentation.

Post-Sandy Recovery: Power Failures & Flooding

Hurricane Sandy struck the tri-state area on October 29, 2012, leaving many dead, millions without power and/or water, and countless homes unoccupiable. Fires have been widespread, notably in Breezy Point, Queens, where 80-100 homes have been destroyed by fire during the storm.

Breezy Point, post-storm fires via Atlantic Wire/Photo: Frank Franklin II, AP)

Hurricane Sandy is on its way to being one of the most expensive disasters in history. Costs, expected in the billions, will come in the form of direct recovery expenses, such as the projected $8 million in damages to the boardwalk in Seaside Heights, NJ, as well as costs associated with the disruption to business and services. As of Tuesday morning, the Wall Street Journal reports that all four NYC area airports remain closed. Transit is disrupted throughout New York City and the tri-state area. New York public schools remain closed. The New York Stock Exchange will be closed until Wednesday, the first time since 1888 that the NYSE has closed two days in a row due to weather.

In a press conference appearance, Governor Cuomo said that New York is relatively well prepared for disasters, but that much of our infrastructure was designed without an understanding of  many of the current risks. Some argue that these risks are increasing. In an October 6, 2011 presentation to the DFRR Committee, Klaus Jacob, of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory & School of International and Public Affairs, predicted that the economic impact of storms to the city may increase dramatically when future storm surges are compounded by climate change-related sea level rise.

The New York Times has extensive coverage of the Hurricane Sandy aftermath, including the spread of power failures in the Northeast:

via the New York Times

RIBA: Climate Change Toolkit: Designing for Flood Risk

Designing for Flood Risk

Excerpted:

This is the seventh of eight components of Climate Change Tools, a package of guidance developed by the RIBA to encourage architects to engage with the issue of climate change, and to help them both mitigate and adapt to the challenges of global warming.

Designing for Flood Risk

gives users a general understanding of the main issues that flood risk gives rise to, provides an overview of current policy and legislation, and outlines potential design responses.