In the early morning of February 6th, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake with an epicenter near Nurdaği, Turkey was felt throughout central Turkey and northern Syria. Approximately 11 minutes later, a 6.7 magnitude quake hit…
Read More Category: Natural Hazards and Extreme Weather
Windstorm Standards Outline: On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, FL as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of up to 150 mph. Along with the strong winds and…
Read MoreSevere windstorm studies have shown that storm-related damage can be prevented or minimized. The keys to this are windstorm preparation planning in advance of the storm, and organized action during and after the storm. Windstorm…
Read MoreAs communities grow, there are only two ways to build; up or out. Often times high rise structures near the center of a large city are already built, and are cost- or ordinance-prohibitive. The option…
Read MoreIn a recent 10-yr. period, wildfires have impacted an average of 7.5 million acres of land each year throughout the United States.(1) Eight of the top ten costliest wildland fires in the US have occurred…
Read MoreNearly everyone has some experience in a casino. Whether you are a high roller playing your favorite table game, playing the penny slots, or just driving down Las Vegas Boulevard as a tourist, you have…
Read MoreImproperly protected sprinkler piping can move violently during an earthquake, resulting not only in extensive water damage to the interior of the building and equipment, but also result in a catastrophic fire due to the…
Read MoreA wet fire-sprinkler system must be protected from freezing when any portion of it is located in spaces with temperatures that cannot reliably be maintained at or above 40°F. Water-filled pipes must stay above that…
Read MoreAfter our March 2016 article entitled “Retrofitting Standing Seam Roofs with External Enhancement Elements: Clamps,” FM Global updated and revised their Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet 1-31, Panel Roof Systems. The data sheet was completely…
Read MoreDamage to fire protection equipment can occur during winter weather and in all regions. It happens in areas where freezing temperatures are common and in areas where temperatures are typically moderate with freezing temperatures not…
Read MoreIf the temperature can or will be below 40°F, the sprinkler piping or heads need to be protected against freezing. There are several methods of automatic sprinkler protection that should be evaluated. Antifreeze Because water…
Read MoreThe major hazards associated with hurricanes are: storm surge and storm tide heavy rainfall and inland flooding high winds rip currents tornadoes For coastal areas, storm surge and large waves produced by hurricanes pose the…
Read MoreOn Monday October 29, 2012 a Cat 1 (80 mph 1-minute) hurricane made landfall in Atlantic City, NJ. The storm had a very broad windfield with a 1,000 mile diameter of tropical storm force winds.…
Read MoreTwo years ago a leading article with a major head line in the USA Today stated “Fierce Hurricane Season Predicted.” The article went on to say that an “extremely active” hurricane season was to occur…
Read MoreRecent studies have shown that anywhere from 10 to 25% of facilities can experience flooding. Flood maps can give an indication of the flood exposure for a facility. However, there could be errors in these…
Read MoreRisk Management Solutions, Inc. (RMS) specializes in developing probabilistic models of catastrophes. These catastrophe (CAT) models are developed using detailed databases of highly localized variations in hazard characteristics, as well as databases capturing property inventory,…
Read MoreA common misconception is that property losses due to winter weather only occur in regions where harsh winters are the standard. Actually, areas that don’t usually have severe weather suffer larger and more costly losses,…
Read MoreHurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 in the Northern Hemisphere. Windstorm is the second highest cause of property loss after fire. Recent severe windstorms have proven that buildings and roofs designed to…
Read MoreFreeze-ups can cause damage to your site’s buildings, operations and fire protection equipment. Here are some basic items that can help prevent and control that damage. Have a winterization plan in place. Review it well…
Read MoreLiquefaction, as it relates to earthquakes, occurs when the strength and stiffness of a soil is reduced by the strong shaking caused by seismic events. It more commonly occurs in soils where the space between…
Read MoreWhen considering fire protection for situations where temperatures are below freezing, automatic fire sprinklers provide the best fire protection advantages; but sprinkler systems use water, and water presents a freezing problem. This is the dilemma…
Read MoreFor the period 1959-1994, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Publication “Storm Data” indicated over 3,000 deaths, 9,000 injuries and nearly 20,000 property damage reports for the United States. That is about 50 property…
Read MoreThis Data Sheet provides a detailed description of the components necessary to guard against earthquakes for a water-based fire protection system. The fire protection system can include sprinkler systems, water spray systems, foam-water systems, fire…
Read MoreIt’s that time of year again for the Northern Hemisphere – Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. As a supplement to our earlier articles dealing with preparing for severe windstorms (see December…
Read MoreWe occasionally see on TV news where buildings are inundated or submerged in flood water after heavy rain, typhoons or hurricanes. Many people believe it never happens to their own buildings. But is that really…
Read MoreSeveral factors come into play when it comes to designing earthquake protection for a building. These include site selection, building type and the particular building code used. This month, we will discuss considerations for structural…
Read MoreWhen it comes to determining the adequacy of fire protection for your building, it is also necessary to consider the potential fire exposure that may exist from an adjacent building and/or adjacent outdoor combustible storage.…
Read MoreIn our July 2006 article, we described methods for lowering the risk of a fire after an earthquake. One portion of the article discussed ways to protect piping used to transfer flammable liquids and gases,…
Read MoreFacts about Hailstorms: Hail develops during most mid-latitude thunderstorms, often melting before reaching the ground. Hail forms in the updraft of a thunderstorm with stronger storms producing larger hail. The updrafts pull the precipitation up…
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