IBHS Katrina 10 Years Later

Ways to improve the resilience of roofing in the Gulf States.

The roof is actually a system made up of several different components that provide a building’s first line of defense against Mother Nature. It is the largest, most important system in every building, yet it is also the most vulnerable during severe weather events. For example, a home or business with excellent window and other opening protection can easily be transformed into what is essentially a big bucket if the roof is damaged during a hurricane, allowing punishing wind and water inside. A Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues, Inc. (RICOWI) report4 by damage assessment teams who surveyed areas after Katrina highlighted that uplift forces produced by wind affect not only roof covering, but the roof deck and other components of the roof system as well. Functional performance requirements for a roof system depend on elements such as the roof deck, underlayments, fasteners and roof covering, all of which act as a composite system to keep water out.

Building Codes
Residential building codes are minimum life safety standards used in the design…