Developers

Section 7:Property Maintenance7.1 Maintenance997.1.1 Maintenance of your building and propertyIf a good system for maintenance is not properly organized, funded,staffed and carried out, then all other disaster mitigation efforts couldprove insufficient. Moreover, experience indicates that roofs, walls,and equipment in general are more vulnerable to failure if normallyoperated at near breakdown, or at any level of technical deficiency.While a properly designed and maintained building would be resistantto natural hazards, experience has shown that some additionalprecautions may have to be taken to secure the facility and allow it tofunction during and immediately after such events. The principal areasto be examined for maintaining disaster resistance of a facility and thecorrective measures to be taken are indicated below:7.1.1.1 Areas to consider during routine maintenanceThe property:Driveways maintained with approved surface paving thatdirects runoff into appropriate drainage waysDrains and culvert cleared to allow for free flow of waterPerimeter fences and retaining walls are structurally soundAll shrubbery must be neatly trimmed and maintained at alltimes. No limbs from trees should be allowed to grow ontoadjacent property below the height of 10', or to touch anystructure on the adjacent propertyFlooding often follows a hurricane. Check to see how highthe water reached in previous heavy rainstorms and ensurethat drains are cleared to carry the rainwater away from thebuilding, and that no storm water can get into the building.The building:Proper state of repair and cleaning of all exterior surfaces ofthe structure with downspout and guttering to properlychannel water to a cistern or other receptacle which willeliminate deterioration of surrounding surfaces posing ahazard.