HOW TO BUILD A SAFE ROOM IN A HOME OR COMMUNITY Friday May 07, 2021 06:28 am

Terrebonne Parish

Department of Planning and Zoning

Recovery Assistance and Mitigation Planning

 

FloodSafe Minute

HOW TO BUILD A SAFE ROOM IN A HOME OR COMMUNITY

Anyone Building Now May Benefit

Public service buildings may be eligible for grants.

Adapted from Release of updated FEMA P-361

FEMA is pleased to announce the release of its updated fourth edition of FEMA P-361 (2021), Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms. This 2021 edition of FEMA P-361 updates and refines criteria for how to design and construct a safe room that provides near-absolute protection from wind and wind-borne debris for occupants.

Safe room designers should feel confident when they implement FEMA’s guidance for their projects. FEMA-approved safe rooms provide near-absolute protection from deadly winds and wind-borne debris associated with extreme-wind events.

Additionally, if the safe room is being constructed with FEMA grant funds, adherence to the FEMA Funding Criteria described in Part B of this publication is required. Public service facilities in particular are encouraged to incorporate a safe room in new or renovated buildings.  The grant will cover a percentage of the difference in cost between minimum code requirements, and the Safe Room standards for a portion of the structure.  FEMA Funding Criteria are the requirements of FEMA P-361 that are more stringent than ICC 500.

Contact the Planning Department RAMP Division for more information about adding a safe room to a new or existing structure.  985-873-6565 or jgerbasi@tpcg.org

FEMA P-361 can be downloaded from FEMA’s Safe Room Resources webpage. Also, on this webpage are two updated fact sheets, which bring guidance in alignment with the updated FEMA P-361:

• Flood Hazard Siting and Elevation Criteria for Community Safe Rooms
• Community Tornado Safe Room Doors: Installation and Maintenance

To learn more about FEMA’s Safe Room Program, click here.

To learn more about FEMA’s Building Science Branch, visit our website.