Reconstruction

Reconstruction of Basic Infrastructure and Buildings

Substantial loss of the built environment often results from a tsunami or hurricane storm surge. Reconstruction of basic infrastructure – water, sewer, roads, electricity, and telecommunications – is funded from a combination of local government funds, utility company coffers, and state and national government aid. Local government funds rely on property and business tax receipts, but if much of the tax base has been destroyed in the disaster, then sufficient local funds for rebuilding infrastructure cannot be sustained. Consequently, in most cases, funds for reconstruction of water, sewer, and roads must come from state and national government aid.

Typically, building reconstruction is funded with a combination of insurance payouts, government aid, and other funds from private and non-profit sources. Because it is important not to rebuild in locations or with construction techniques that reproduce vulnerabilities that led to damage in the initial disaster, recovery policies need to direct people to appropriate behavior. For example, following a hurricane disaster in the United States, insurance payouts and government aid are contingent on rebuilding houses with hurricane-resistant designs to reduce future hurricane risk. The photo below shows a typical elevated, storm surge-resistant house in Charleston, South Carolina. The first floor of the house is designed not for living, but instead for parking, storage, and building access. Special construction designs, like elevated slab and elevated crawlspaces, and use of non-water sensitive materials, are also important. Eventually, all buildings in storm surge-prone locations of the United States will be replaced by similar surge-resistant designs.

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Figure 11.15: Storm surge-resistant houses in Charleston, South Carolina.
Credit: Building Science Corporation