more... > Safer, Stronger, Smarter > Durability & Hazards > How Do I Strengthen My Home for Wind? Wind is the most common and most costly cause of damage to light frame structures in the United States. There are things you can do, however, to reduce the potential damage from high winds. Flood, Wind and Water Louisiana homes are susceptible to damage from floods (rising water, including storm surge), wind (hurricanes, tornadoes and other strong winds) and water (heavy rains infiltrating the building. These hazards and coping with them, are explained more fully in this section. Flood Hazards in Louisiana Louisiana floods - from excess rain and poor drainage; from overflow of rivers, streams and bayous; from drainage channels backing-up; from storm surge; from levee failures. Build Safer, Stronger, Smarter: Add Strength and Water Resistance When Repairing Your Roof [Image: repairing roofs] Whether you are just replacing a few shingles or have damage that requires you to strip your roof down to the rafters, you can take steps at every stage of work to minimize future storm damage. In addition, for new construction and substantial remodeling or repair, you’ll have to meet residential building codes designed to reduce potential roof damage from storms.  more articles... Build Safer Stronger Smarter: Elevating an Existing Home [Image: elevating an existing home] If you live in Louisiana, your primary objective in raising a home is likely to be flood avoidance, even if you’re not in an identified flood hazard area. Elevation is the most effective on-site method of reducing future flood damage. Build Safer, Stronger, Smarter: Add Strength and Water Resistance When Reparing Your Walls [Image: repairing walls] Any home repair or remodeling work you do presents an opportunity to help your home fare better in the next storm. Whether you are just replacing siding or you have damage that's requiring you to completely remove all the wall coverings – inside or outside – you can work to minimize future storm damage at every stage of the project. LSU faculty, students build ‘ultimate portable weather system’ to monitor hurricanes [Image: Portable weather monitoring station] Faculty and students from two LSU System campuses combined their talents and expertise to produce a state-of-the-art weather station that could be rolled into the path of a hurricane if one comes our way. Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a 1-5 rating based on the hurricane's present intensity. This is used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast from a hurricane landfall. Wind speed is the determining factor in the scale, as storm surge values are highly dependent on the slope of the continental shelf and the shape of the coastline, in the landfall region. Note that all winds are using the U.S. 1-minute average. Decay and Termite Damage [Image: Termite Damage] Many homeowners who own a property built of wood have had problems with wood-destroying organisms. In United States, termites, and decay fungus cause more than $2 billion in damage to buildings every single year. In order to protect their home from these organisms, homeowners need to know what to look for, how to treat problems that arise, and how to keep their homes free of decay and termites. Checklist for Decay Resistance Use this checklist to explore and select features and components of a sustainable house in Louisiana. Supertermites [Image: bar graph of colony size difference between Formosan and native subterranean termites] Formosan subterranean termites are more aggressive and cause more damage than native subterranean termite species because of special biological attributes. Prepare Your Home, Before Storm Season Starts In preparing for the upcoming hurricane season, federal officials urge coastal residens to prepare their dwellings, too. Flood Protection Terms Definitions of terms used in flood protection. Homeowner's Guide to Retrofitting: Six Ways to Protect Your House From Flooding As a homeowner, you need clear information about the options that are available to reduce flood damage to your home and straightforward guidance on selecting the option that is best for you. Quite often this is a difficult task. By knowing the basic questions to ask, you are guided toward the investment in retrofitting that is appropriate for you. Click for more information...