Storm & Security

IN/BOX More U.S. Residents at Risk from Coastal Storms Exterior Products Association Formed If current population trends continue, some 11 million more Americans will be at risk from extreme coastal storms by 2020. That projection comes from a report, The National Coastal Population Report: Population Trends from 1970 to 2020, released in March by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with data from the U.S. Census Bureau. According to the report, U.S. coasts will see population grow from 123 million to nearly 134 million people by 2020. As of the 2010 census, the report states, 39 percent of the U.S. population is concentrated in counties directly on the shoreline. "The coast is substantially more crowded than the U.S. as a whole," says report editor Kristen Crossett of NOAA's National Ocean Service. "Population density in shoreline counties is more than six times greater than the corresponding inland counties. And the projected growth in coastal areas will increase population density at a faster rate than the country as a whole." A new trade association has been formed to protect and educate the general public on the benefits and standards of exterior rolling shutters and rolling solar shades. The Exterior Shutter and Shade Association (ESSA) plans to set standards for its members and the industry to insure the public is provided the safest and most effective products, according to an ESSA statement. The ESSA board of directors is made of product manufacturers in the field. It is working to develop a code that consumers can rely on to evaluate their needs and with government agencies to promote energy savings and security, it states. Will Sequestration Hit Storm Forecast, Response Efforts? The issue of mandatory, across-the-board federal budget cuts, known as sequestration, was raised at the 27th annual Governor's Hurricane Conference in May at the Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL. According to the Miami Herald, Rick Knabb, director, National Hurricane Center, and Craig Fugate, administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), stated in interviews and at a news conference that budget cuts would not affect hurricane forecasting or jeopardize public safety or federal response to disasters. Knabb said employee furloughs were a possibility, but would not come while the weather was active in the tropics. Certified Installer Program Begun A certified installer program has been introduced for impact protection devices that will distinguish an installer of these products as being trained in the industry's best practices and certify an installer's knowledge as determined by his or her ability to pass a written examination of course materials. The Impact Protection Device Certification Installer Program was developed by Architectural Testing and is endorsed by the International Hurricane Protection Association (IHPA). The primary focus of the program is on those states that border the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico and are subject to high wind events such as hurricanes. This comprehensive program is administered by Architectural Testing, the independent third-party program administrator, which registers scheduled classes and participants, scores installer examinations, trains trainers, and maintains a national registry of Certified Installers and Certified Trainers. For more information on the program, including requirements for certified installers and benefits of the program, contact Karen Yetter, Architectural Testing, at 717-764-7700. 6 STORM & SECuRITY PROTECTION / FORECAST 2013 ICC, Fiatech Take Code Compliance into Digital Age The International Code Council (ICC) and Fiatech, Austin, TX, in May signed a Memorandum of Understanding on a shared vision to create AutoCodes, a project that would automate code checking. "Automated code checking helps plan reviewers focus on the core tasks of code compliance and speeds up the permitting process," said ICC Board President Ronald Piester, AIA. "This innovative technology will provide comprehensive and consistent results from project to project across jurisdictions and allow code officials to dedicate more time to safety issues, inspections and other important duties." "Using technology for code checking is a win-win for the jurisdiction, designer and property owner," said ICC CEO Dominic Sims, CBO. "Speeding up plan review and permitting turnaround time will result in projects being started and completed in a more timely manner thereby creating an economic development advantage in a competitive world." New Residential Construction Continues Upward Trend New residential construction activity for 2013 is expected to mirror 2012's 26.5 percent improvement over the previous year, according to the latest statistical review by AAMA/WDMA. Released in April, the 2012/2013 U.S. Industry Statistical Review and Forecast attributes the 2012 increase to strong gains in single-family and multi-family segments. Looking ahead, the study forecasts multi-family and single-family starts each to see 28 percent growth, and the overall new housing market to continue a similar level of improvement for at least the next two years. The American Architectural Manufacturers Association's (AAMA) and the Window & Door Manufacturers Association's (WDMA) assessment and forecast is based on construction activity as of March 2013, and includes historical data from 2006 through 2012 and forecast data for 2013 through 2015. The full report is available through the WDMA Web site bookstore.

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