Natural disasters have been on our minds and in the news lately. From record snowfalls and devastating earthquakes, to floods in the heartland—and sometimes tornadoes in our own backyards—a weather-related emergency can be a nightmare. And with stories of families still picking up the pieces years later, it’s hard to know how to cope with something so unexpected.
SAFEbuilt Windsor Tornado Recovery Fund Chimney Park received extensive damage during the May 2008 tornado and this contribution will go towards rebuilding this popular baseball facility. |
Facts About Natural Disasters
Although it seems like weather is becoming increasingly violent, agencies like NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, maintain that frequency of these natural events is within normal patterns.
In fact, countless natural hazards occur all the time—such as an estimated 8,000 earthquakes daily—but it’s only when these events strike populations that they become disastrous. And when one affects a significant number of people it earns the term “natural disaster.”
As world population grows, so does the frequency of natural disasters. Populations tend to grow at an even faster pace in high-risk areas, such as coastal regions, putting more people in harm’s way when a powerful hurricane, earthquake or tsunami does occur.
Thanks to better weather prediction technology, better communication and better engineering and construction, fewer people lose their lives in natural disasters. Yet more people are affected and more money is at stake when damages are assessed.
As a building department services provider, we have long been aware of our responsibilities to help create a culture of safe, structurally sound buildings. In a weather-related disaster, through building-code plan reviews and inspections can help structures to withstand heavier damage.
Depth of Resources Expedite Recovery
On May 22, a tornado hit Windsor, a Northern Colorado town, one of our partner jurisdictions, and the site of our corporate headquarters. At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, cities along Colorado’s Front Range are inexperienced when it comes to tornadoes. When we emerged from shelter to find our building intact but lacking power and utilities, we knew we were among the lucky ones.
Immediately, the SAFEbuilt team engaged with City staff, local police, fire personnel and first responders to assess damaged structures and sweep the area for victims and others in need. “Our first priority was to assess the condition of structures damaged in the storms,” said David Thomsen, vice president, SAFEbuilt. “[After issues of life safety were resolved] we made every effort to help the Windsor community rebuild as expeditiously as possible.”
Due to the depth of SAFEbuilt’s internal resources and industry alliances, we were able to deploy inspectors from our other Colorado offices, neighboring partner communities, as well as members of Colorado’s chapter of the International Code Council. (Special thanks to our partner communities and members of the Colorado Chapter of the ICC.)
The following day, our team worked alongside the National Guard, as well as police and fire departments from neighboring communities, to isolate hardest hit areas, control the flow of gas and electricity, and install security personnel to minimize looting. The SAFEbuilt team was able to visually assess 800 structures in just three days.
We dispatched two mobile permitting units to assess damage and issue permits on the spot. SAFEbuilt personnel addressed questions as they canvassed the town on foot. In instances where construction crews were already on-site, our team helped advise homeowners how to ask contractors for proof of insurance and credentials.
With the added implementation of online permitting and inspection request forms, SAFEbuilt was able to issue 305 combo permits and complete 126 inspections on behalf of the town of Windsor between May 24 and May 30.
“I’m most proud of our people,” said Dan Hunter, SAFEbuilt COO. “Being able to pull our staff together and implement creative approaches, while still conducting business as usual for all of our other clients, was commendable. It further demonstrates the value we bring to our partner communities.”
Monthly Tornado Statistics
Learn more about reported tornados throughout the United States at www.spc.noaa.gov.
