Flood disaster preparedness and resilience

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2 Flood disaster preparedness and resilience! WHY?! Because Electricity and (flood)water don t mix. Gas flames and water don t mix. Oil and water don t mix. Drinking water and flood water don t mix.!! Besides flood damage disrupts our lives, quickly becomes a health hazard, and is a pain to clean up.

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6 A couple of factoids about the July 10, 2010 rainstorm It was a 25-year storm (once in 25 years) over a 1/2- hour period! The BW&S system is designed to handle 10- year storms Boston received 1 of rain in 1/2 hour! The combined outfall and storm sewers were overloaded. Many basements in the Back Bay were flooded.

7 Different types of Backflow Preventing Valves

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12 Flooding damage to Back Bay buildings & ownership To buildings: Not dangerous to masonry, but dangerous or worse for metal portions, particularly structural steel components. Salt water is corrosive and will severely damage or even make any machinery obsolete. Clean-up costs may be substantially increased if clean-up is delayed and mold sets in. ISD To ownership: Loss of rentals from tenants, or cost of alternate housing for residentowners of properties, both of which could be prolonged. In basements of all types, loss of property in storage lockers, or even of cars if garaged in basements which are flooded by salt water. In the many basements that are also living quarters (i.e. at alley level), loss of cherished personal property.

13 Disruptions in New York - Fuel disrup,on - Public transporta,on disrup,on - Debris removal of 110,000 tons in 8 days. - 20,000 tree emergency calls, 5000 trees in parks. Debris fire hazard - Damaged 10,000 recrea,onal boats and 100,000 personal vehicles - Removing 2 million cubic yards of sand by hand, clean for reuse - Telecommunica,ons down, no electricity to cellular towers - Community services: 1.5 million prepared meals, 278,000 food truck meals, 1million water bokles, 166,000 blankets - From October 2012 to May 2013 more than 12,000 volunteers served the community!! Source: Franziska Amacher, AIA, LEED AP, WBE, Lic Soc

14 The Boston Context from Building Resilience in Boston - The most common natural hazards in the Boston area are floods, severe storms, and extreme temperatures (both hot and cold). - Boston is an old city. Over 50% of Boston s housing units were built before A majority of Boston s residen,al buildings are 1, 2, and 3 story wood- framed (the classic triple- deckers ) vulnerable to flooding and storms. - All of Boston s buildings are vulnerable to loss of cri,cal services. - Extreme temperatures become a cri,cal factor in public health and safety.

15 Flood preparedness and resilience planning in a 71-unit building in the Back Bay - Carrying proper insurance Installing back flow preventer valves, and maintain them twice annually Installing sump pumps in lowest areas of basement - Properly maintaining emergency lighting and back-up generators for elevators Recommendations under consideration: Shutting off all water to 71 units in order to prevent overloading the building s plumbing system in the event of rainstorm or storm surge overloading the city CSOs for a prolonged period! Protecting our building basement from potential ocean storm surge flooding by blocking up with inflatable sandbags low-lying openings such as garage entry, windows or ventilation openings up to 2 or 3 feet above alley level, but also fuel pipe vents and sump pump discharge pipes (Warning: inflatable sandbags need to be immersed in a tub and each one will take 5 minutes to inflate!) - Developing an emergency plan and emergency kits for building staff - Participating in a drive to create the Boston Harbor Storm Surge Barrier, and think of it as a great opportunity to not only protect huge amounts of valuable real estate, but to also create a new ribbon of recreational opportunities.

16 Flood preparedness and resilience planning in a typical brownstone building in the Back Bay! - Purchase proper insurance - Protect our electric, heating (oil and/or gas) and drinking water systems by: Installing back flow preventer valves, and maintaining them twice annually. Storing sufficient numbers of inflatable sand bags to protect all flood-prone openings (especially in alleys). Warning: each sandbag requires immersion in a tub or tank, and will take approximately 5 minutes to inflate! Therefore a good deal of preparation time ahead of an anticipated flood is required. Moving our electric service panels and heating system to a level which is not floodprone even from a CSO overload flood, or create a flood-proof perimeter around it. Installing sump pumps in lowest areas of basements Oil tanks, and particularly their intakes, are vulnerable to water incursion into the tank and thus to rendering it useless; so it is prudent to relocate the oil intake and ventilation pipes to a level which is not flood-prone. Sump pump discharge outlets, even cable entry sleeves and other openings in alley walls are equally vulnerable to flood intrusion into a building.

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20 Donauinsel in Vienna - a 25-mile long recreational park which is also part of a flood control system

21 Recreational opportunities not just in Vienna, but along the Boston Harbor Storm Surge Barrier, potentially financed through a municipal bond paid for by a mortgage-like insurance component of all real estate otherwise endangered by a Sandy-like storm surge. Sources: Wikipedia and Wien Info

22 Sources: A DiMambro and Wien Info

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24 ! 3 Take-aways At a minimum, protect our buildings by carrying proper insurance and installing back flow preventer valves in all discharge pipes from buildings. Better: move all heating and electricity systems higher! in the building.! Protect our building basements from potential ocean storm surge flooding by preparing to block up low-lying openings (ideally, up to 2 or 3 feet above alley level) with inflatable sand bags.!! Participate in a drive to create the Boston Harbor Storm Surge Barrier, and think of it as a great opportunity to not only protect huge amounts of valuable real estate, but to also create a new ribbon of recreational opportunities.!