Earlier this year, I wrote a column about plumbing and mechanical engineers playing an important role in natural disaster mitigation. The topic bears repeating because FEMA just released a new landmark study: “Building Codes Save: A Nationwide Study.”
The report states one of the most cost-effective ways to safeguard communities against natural disasters — tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires and floods — is to adopt and follow hazard-resistant building codes. These codes not only reduce casualties, but limit the cost of building damage during a natural disaster.