47.5 MB - The Whole Building Design Guide

Figure 4-17:Broken windows atD’Iberville High School4.3.4 Site SelectionMost educational facilities that were destroyed or severely damagedby Katrina were located in the areas subject to storm surgeflooding. Ideally, educational facilities used as shelters shouldnot be located in floodplains, but since they must be located inproximity to the neighborhoods they serve, some are built onflood-prone sites. Even if buildings can be elevated to reduce thepotential for damage, the surrounding area remains susceptibleto flooding, which could prevent access and disrupt the deliveryof emergency aid. This also underscores the need to provide multipleroutes to and from a facility, in case of roadway blockagefollowing a storm.Pineville Elementary School near Pass Christian, Mississippi, wasused as a place of refuge during the storm, but when the waterrose to a depth of 2 feet, the people had to be moved by schoolbuses to another shelter (see Figure 4-18). The buses were drivenby school bus mechanics struggling to maintain control in risingwater and 80 mph winds.The schools in Pass Christian—mostly one-story buildings locatedin mapped flood hazard areas—sustained heavy damage from4-30 OBSERVATIONS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF CRITICAL FACILITIES