Extreme weather, extreme effects

The phrase “extreme weather” evokes images of tornadoes flattening towns, wildfires raging and floods irreparably damaging homes and businesses. Extreme weather can come in the form of catastrophic hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes, but it denotes any worsened version of typical weather patterns. Extreme weather poses a threat to everyone, regardless of the size of your company, your type of business or geographical location.

In fact, weather and climate-related disasters have caused $2.4 trillion in global economic losses since 1971. From construction sites that have to close because of high winds or a storm (thereby losing profit), to hospitals that have to figure out how to save their patients from impending floods, to a business that attempts to prepare their building for a hurricane that is expected to hit, to farmers whose very livelihood depends on the weather, everyone is affected by extreme weather.

Extreme weather events are a particularly pertinent topic as climate resilience is garnering more and more media attention and the 2016 Global Risks Report named climate change as one of the top risks in the world right now. “Global warming” is the topic of much discussion amid predictions that our weather will become more extreme in many ways as a result. Summers may be hotter and rainier (leading to more flooding), and winters may be shorter but much colder. These changes could affect the ecosystems which have come to rely on typical temperatures and weather patterns, leading to a much different world from the one we live in today. According to many reputable studies and climate scientists, one of the biggest changes that will come with climate change is an increase in the severity and frequency of extreme weather events, specifically heat waves, droughts, heavy rain and snow storms.

With this in mind, there is a need to develop strategies for improving resilience of our homes and businesses. Building the homes we live in and businesses we operate with extreme weather in mind is not only smart, but is also becoming necessary.

Building codes typically represent minimum standards and may not protect against more extreme weather events. Your building may not withstand the stronger winds and intense flooding associated with more extreme weather.

For example, in 1992 Hurricane Andrew made landfall in south Florida as a Category 5 storm and produced catastrophic results. Homes and businesses were destroyed. Following Hurricane Andrew, building codes were strengthened to lessen the impact of future storms. Hurricanes continue to affect Florida, but improved building codes can lead to homes and businesses which are more prepared for, and more resilient to, these extreme weather events.

More recently, when Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast in 2012, many houses and businesses incurred significant damage because they were not built to withstand the intense flooding. Many homes and businesses required extensive repairs or were torn down completely. There is nothing resilient about a building that ends up in a landfill.

The design, construction and maintenance of a building can help make all the difference in recovering from an extreme weather event. For new buildings, consider a forward-looking design that goes beyond minimum code and paying a little extra to make a building more climate resilient now so that you may pay less for disaster-related losses later. For existing buildings, take into consideration ways that you can improve your resilience against extreme weather events, not just the most common ones.

Learn ways you can become more climate resilient:

5 tips to help protect your business from tornadoes

Guide to hurricane emergency action plans

Will your roof survive the next hailstorm?

A pre-fire plan can help save property and protect people