When Hurricane Katrina ravaged the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005, it caused unfathomable damage. However, much of the wind damage throughout Louisiana could have been reduced if stronger building codes were in place. This case study summarizes the lessons learned following Hurricane Katrina and the steps taken by IBTS staff to develop and maintain new… Read more
In order to remain healthy, vibrant, safe and economically competitive, America’s counties must be able to anticipate and adapt to a myriad of changing physical, environmental, social and economic conditions. New and emerging technologies can be particularly critical for counties as they develop plans and programs to increase their resilience to unforeseen shocks. In a world increasingly driven by… Read more
What if you knew the weather…up to a year in advance? What would you do differently? Northampton County, Pennsylvania used weathertrends360’s year-ahead forecast to better plan their annual budgets. The forecast indicated the coming winter would be the 2nd warmest in decades, 10F warmer than the prior year with 75% less snowfall forecast. The forecast… Read more
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is committed to a comprehensive and coordinated resiliency effort to help improve the ability of buildings, infrastructure and communities to withstand the effects of a natural disaster and recover within reasonable expectations and manageable costs. The increasing number of significant natural disasters occurring over the past several years,… Read more
Disaster can strike out of nowhere. Tornadoes touch down with little warning. Earthquakes do not announce themselves before they rumble underfoot. Days of pounding, persistent rain create overwhelming floods. These emergencies are only weather events—large vehicle crashes and other man-made crises can happen in a split-second. To make matters worse, a delayed or deferred response… Read more
Effectively communicating and clearly expressing the reasons for a tough decision using all available communications channels is essential for counties and local leaders. This workshop helps county leaders learn how to develop and deliver key elements of your message and leverage all mediums for maximum impact. Although the content of the workshop is not specific… Read more
View all of the National Association of County’s (NACo’s) resources on resilience, including blog posts, county news and other publications and tools. NACo resiliency resources
Overview More than just data, Digital Coast provides tools, training and examples of how counties can bolster resiliency through data and information resources. Coastal counties make up only 17 percent of the U.S. land area, but provide 58 percent of our nation’s GDP. Coastal increases in population, extreme weather events, sea level rise and other… Read more
County governments play an instrumental role in protecting communities before, during and after disasters. NACo is pleased to announce our partnership with the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS) on a new member benefit that will support disaster services for NACo member counties. Our nation has seen an increasing number of disasters in the… Read more
INTRODUCTION Disasters – whether naturally occurring or man-made, foreseeable and unforeseeable – can have a profound impact on counties across the United States. In order to remain healthy, vibrant, safe and economically competitive, America’s counties must be able to anticipate and adapt to a myriad of changing physical, environmental, social and economic conditions. The National… Read more
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