A plethora of guidance currently exists on how to design new structures to resist high winds. However, much less focuses on how to improve the safety of existing dwelling by effectively retrofitting homes for wind protection. According to FEMA, Hurricane Katrina damaged 234,230 single-family homes in Mississippi alone. After the tragedy, FEMA developed a guide to retrofitting homes for wind protection in order to help owners and builders protect their homes from high wind. What are those guidelines? This online engineering course prepared by D. Allen Hughes, PE outlines the FEMA guidelines for retrofitting homes for wind protection and the technical information needed to select and implement wind retrofit projects for existing homes. In particular, the guide identifies 3 successive protection packages designed for existing homes:

1. Basic
2. Intermediate
3. Advanced

Although the guide presented in this course was developed for homes in the U.S. Gulf Coast region, it's applicable to one- and two-family dwellings in all coastal and tornado-prone regions (not manufactured (HUD Code) homes). Specifically, this guide is designed to help you prepare well in advance of expected wind events. Other FEMA guidelines, such as Protecting Homes from High Wind, provide guidance that includes emergency-type preparation activities for imminent wind events.

Learning Objectives

At the successful conclusion of this course, you’ll be able to identify and discuss:

• The need for technical guidance on different wind retrofit project types
• Levels of protection, as well as their associated risks and the desired level of protection to achieve
• Wind hazards and building codes in hurricane-prone regions
• How to evaluate an existing home and determine whether it's a good candidate for a wind retrofit project
• Basic, intermediate and advanced mitigation package evaluations
• How to strengthen vents and soffits
• Technical design and construction methods to retrofit homes for wind protection
• How to improve homes with and without roof covering replacements
• How to strengthen overhangs at gable end walls
• Methods for protecting openings and bracing gable end walls
• How to strengthen the connections of attached structures
• How to develop a Continuous Load Path
• Protecting openings, exterior wall coverings, tree falls, and exterior equipment
• How to implement mitigation projects and wind retrofit programs