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Disaster recovery can be a long, drawn-out process that takes a toll not only the community members, but also on local governments that have to provide routine services while also working to rebuild and restore the community. When disaster recovery exceeds the capacity of a local governments’ staffing capabilities and skillsets, consulting with a small, specialty recovery firm can be an invaluable asset in not only speeding the recovery process, but also ensuring that all regulations are met.

An IBTS consultant evaluates an interior wall under construction.

IBTS assisted Harris County, Texas after Hurricane Ike struck the County in 2008. IBTS assisted the county with the construction of nearly 50 homes in the county’s housing recovery program to ensure code compliance and provide construction expertise. IBTS’s services allowed the county government to focus on providing routine services that taxpayers need and expect, while still making strides in returning the area to its pre-disaster state.

Daphne Lemelle, Harris County director of community development, was responsible for operating a $56 million housing recovery program following Hurricane Ike. According to Lemelle, the greatest benefit to partnering with IBTS was their assistance with code compliance and construction. Large portions of the county’s service area are unincorporated and have no code review, and the county’s Permits Office only reviews new construction for meeting elevation standards – the community lacked the expertise needed to comply with FEMA’s many specific requirements.

“After a disaster, it’s critical to have expertise in codes,” Lemelle says. “We knew IBTS would help us make sure we have the correct standards in place. They helped us make sure our construction people weren’t taking short cuts in safety practices.”

“Working with IBTS during Hurricane Ike allowed us to bring in necessary expertise to be on the ground with recovery efforts without expanding our staff,” says Lemelle.

General contractors may provide some of these services, but may also be overextended during disaster recovery. Specialty firms may be able to keep costs from escalating and help extend the locality’s reach in specific areas, like application intake and case management, construction and inspection and environmental review.

With the assistance of IBTS, Harris County not only recovered to their pre-disaster state, but also established best practices and revamped their disaster recovery plans and procedures. They amended their Home Repair Program operations manual to include procedures for responding to disaster housing needs, and are also working with the Office of Emergency Management to create and implement long term recovery procedures.

Consultants can help localities continue to take progressive measures even after long-term recovery is complete, improving on areas that caused problems and incorporating strategies that did work into the county’s disaster response and recovery procedures.