It is clear that the main threats to lives and property at the hands of a hurricane or tropical system here in Western Massachusetts are inland flooding and wind damage. Both were a devastating part of the Great New England hurricane of 1938, both can return in a future storm, but each can happen separately in some more localized event that might otherwise catch you off-guard. It is important that we take what we know these storms can do, and shore our homes up against it. Preventing them isn't an option, but fortunately there's some things we can do, even now.

The Home Itself

People have been trying to provide shelter for their families capable of withstanding what nature can throw against it since the dawn of time. It should come as no surprise that government itself has taken on similar tasks, so that a community as a whole would be protected, both individually, and from each other. One of the ways this is achieved is by the enforcement of building codes.

"The building code goes back thousands of years," says Steve Desilets, Code Enforcement Commissioner for Springfield, MA. "As time has gone on the codes have changed." Building codes pretty much reflect the current opinion of a diversified community of scientists and engineers as to what minimum design/installation of a structure gives it a reasonable chance against local storms events and one that offers a reasonable standard of health. "Every time there is a disaster, new things have been learned. When there is extensive damage, it is inspected to see why," Desilets explains. If there is something glaring about the current state of construction that leaves it vulnerable to an event that has a reasonable chance of recurring, then the building codes are changed to reflect and guard against that.

"In Massachusetts, our building codes have always been strong." states Desilets. "We have three zones, with Cape Cod being the most strict in its requirements". There are new codes that are released periodically that contain upgrades for existing structures, though none of them really are enforced until a new construction or repair is required. That can get a little murky, as houses that were originally built to code decades ago, now are not up to code, and the owner may not even realize it.

"The Massachusetts building code includes articles in it that concern construction against wind vulnerabilities and for flooding." Steve Desilets goes on to say that the biggest targets for wind damage in Western Massachusetts are the garage door, the roof, and the outbuilding (sheds, etc.). "A lot of people over the years have seen pictures where the whole roof flies off the house. In the high winds of a hurricane, you're going to see damage...shingles blown off, siding removed..." but when a roof detaches, it's clear the problem is one of anchoring. Proper anchoring is also the main culprit behind issues related to a back-yard shed. "We've seen situations in high wind events that, with improper anchoring, a simple shed can be transformed into something of an overland missile, itself threatening lives and property." Modular homes are somewhat similar to shed in that they are solidly constructed, but often suffer the same vulnerabilities in a major storm if they aren't anchored properly. "There have been houses that have actually been blown off their foundations, intact, by relatively modest storms...due to lack of proper anchoring." Likewise with a garage, the wide face of the door makes it perhaps the most vulnerable part of a house (unless it's a detached garage-- which just makes it a problem for that structure). "The Achilles heel is the garage door," Desilets explains. "If it's not installed with enough safeguards, you could see a situation in which the garage itself could be ripped away from a house in high winds."

"The materials required to effectively stabilize property for a storm is actually quite cheap," Desilets says, and the best way to know if you need some improvements to your house to be ready for a hurricane, the best thing to do is to get it inspected by someone who knows the building codes. If a house is built to the current standards on the books, they are reasonably prepared.

For flooding concerns, building codes most specifically address the construction needs of areas along the coast, where storm surge is a possibility. "When you have tidal surges, sometimes you can have a 6-story condo complex in which the whole lowest floor is designed to fail and be wiped out, to preserve the rest of the condo." Desilets explains, "The Hydraulic pressure on a 2x2 pier is much less than a 30'-40' wall (when faced with onrushing waters)." For inland structures, it's really a matter of awareness. Knowing whether or not you're within a flood plain (an area close to water that has calculated flooding risks of at least 1% annually) is perhaps the most important part of the battle. The rest is simply making sure your valuables are not stored in such areas, and to the extent it's possible, water-proofing the lowest floor.

Flood Insurance

Another 'must-have' for folks living in the flood-plain, is flood insurance. Policies of this kind are offered regularly by most insurers, and as Michael Coffey (Vice President of Field Eddy Insurance in Longmeadow, MA) says, "Issues of flooding is not covered by a standard home-owners policy."

"Most think of a flood as an overflowing body of water, but it's not limited to that." Coffey explains. "People that think they live in a high area may think they're safe from floods, but flooding can actually be a run-off event as well, (where moving water from heavy rains damage a property).

Flood insurance is available to those willing to have it in Western Massachusetts, but Michael Coffey says there's a few things to keep in mind when getting such a policy. "One of the things people make mistakes on, is deciding on how much to insure their house. It doesn't matter what the land on which the house is sitting is worth. Likewise the resale value of the home is probably not going to be the same as the cost to actually rebuild the home in place, and restock it with lost items that you may claim." It is often suggested that you keep a record of valuables and property within a house, so that you can effectively recount it to the insurance company,  but this sort of good advice is rarely followed.

After the Storm

Given the scenario of a home-owner who did purchase flood insurance, after a devastating flood event, Mike Coffey offers up some 'next steps' to take. "Obviously the first thing to do is ensure that everyone is safe and that things are stable, but with respect to insurance, the first thing you would do is file a claim. They should do all that is necessary to protect the property (both from further weather damage, and from vandals). Most people think of an insurance settlement as all done by one big check, but most often that is not the case." Coffey goes on to say, "You need to establish what is and is not damaged. For example: Your roof is collapsed and thus your TV is crushed. Check to see what is and is not covered. Most people would end up shorting themselves by far."

Next comes the insurance adjustment process. Here, an 'adjuster' is involved, and tries to assess what the actual compensation will be, from a better view of the loss. "The insurance adjuster is not a building contractor," Coffey admits. "There's always going to be some element of negotiation." Fortunately, policies are written in Massachusetts in broad coverage terms by design, such that unless the policy (for the dwelling) says something is not covered...it IS...and for the contents of the house, unless it's written specifically to say that it's included in the coverage, it is NOT. Although there is both good and bad news in there, at least there's less left up to question.

Michael Coffey quickly added a few helpful comments regarding this post-storm period, as there are some pitfalls that can come about. "To be in a hurricane zone, and 70,000 people around you also have damaged homes...the capacity of the insurance company to get adjusters is strained...the capacity of builders to fix homes is strained...it becomes a very difficult process." Patience is certainly a virtue here, and it is NOT realistic to expect/demand any sort of near-term time-frame for resolution of your claim. It's also important to note that when a claim is fulfilled, there is no alteration to the quality of the home upon repair. Don't expect a new open floor plan, or those new energy-saving windows. Though this is more observed in commercial buildings, Coffey adds that there are some rare occasions in which repairing your home on a fulfilled claim may actually cost the homeowner some money. "If someone had an older house damage or destroyed by a storm, and the building codes had changed from when the house was originally built in compliance. To the extent that rebuilding the home to current minimum codes would necessitate improving the house to a state better than it was before (the example he gives is that contractors are simply not going to put knob-and-tube wiring back into a home damaged by storm, etc.)...that would be at the cost of the homeowner."

Policies take effect the day they are signed, and presumably could be called upon the next day if there was some damaging event, however, insurance companies have the ability (and the right) to withhold offering coverage until after an impending storm passes. So...don't expect to get away with waiting until the eve of the next hurricane to sign up for some grand property-saving policy. The time to act is now.

Related Links:
http://www.springfieldcityhall.com/building/index.php - Springfield Code Enforcement
http://msc.fema.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ - FEMA Map Service Center (check to see if you're in a flood plain)
http://www.fieldeddy.com/ - FieldEddy insurance group.