Real Solutions to Real Problems

While the problem of sheltering our population when natural disasters strike may seem insurmountable, there are solutions.

October 14 , 2004

by David B. South

David B. South,
President of the Monolithic Dome Institute

Since this summer's hurricanes in Florida and other coastal states, I have been thinking more about Hazard Amnesia -- that ability we seem to have to forget the devastation of a natural disaster once some repairs have been made.

In fact, I think Hazard Amnesia has already obliterated much of what Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne accomplished, just a few short weeks ago. I don't doubt that right now, there are government officials and voters convincing themselves that there is nothing we can do to protect ourselves from hurricanes and tornadoes. They are probably rationalizing that we can't fight mother nature, that we don't have enough money to do anything that would protect us, and that natural disasters only hit occasionally anyway, so they're just something we have to live with. In other words, since there is no easy, instant solution, there is no solution.

And it's true. There is nothing we can do instantly or easily. But there are things we can do over the long term. Many of these possible solutions involve making changes in our codes, and that takes determination, effort and time.

We need multiple-tier building codes. Consider Florida, for example. The Sunshine State needs codes that require stronger buildings, whether they're big or small, private or public.

Thousands of Floridians live in mobile homes -- favorite targets of tornadoes and hurricanes. Despite that, you can't just get rid of all mobile homes; that would make a great many people homeless. So the question is what kind of sheltering space can be provided within a mobile unit. Not a very practical one. For example, constructing a safe room within a mobile home is an unaffordable alternative for most of the owners. But through new codes, we could require that mobile units be built stronger and tougher.

But even stronger units may not be strong enough. What else could we do? We could insist that every mobile home park provide a collective sheltering space -- an easily accessible safe structure for all of the park's residents. Too expensive, you say! Yes, it certainly would be if, for example, you built a structure to house 100 to 300 people only in times of disaster, and at all other times it just stood vacant. That's impractical and downright wasteful.

A far more practical solution is a dual-purpose or multi-purpose structure, such as a Monolithic Dome that, on ordinary days, serves as the park's community center, office complex, gymnasium, etc. Such a Monolithic Dome would be utilized on a daily basis, be energy efficient and easily maintained, and provide what FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) calls "near-absolute protection" when hurricanes and tornadoes hit.

But the need for disaster shelters is not limited to mobile home parks. All communities need such protection. So how can we affordably do that?

One way is to change building codes. We can mandate that all new construction used by the public -- whether privately or publicly owned -- be built to FEMA's specifications for near-absolute protection. That would include just about all new structures: schools, churches, government buildings, police and fire stations, hospitals, prisons and jails, stores and businesses. Consequently, each new construction could be a shelter.

Would there be anything illegal or immoral about buying space in such a structure? What if you were a church and you needed some extra money to get your church built. Could you sell shelter space in the church to a mobile home park or a neighborhood, for instance, that would then have so many prepaid spaces for its residents?

While such a plan is not without its problems, it is worth considering. We can't just give in to Hazard Amnesia and give up.

Real Solutions to Real Problems

While the problem of sheltering our population when natural disasters strike may seem insurmountable, there are solutions.

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