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<br /> <br />ment tools, to\vn ordinances and policies, and imeragency cooperative agreemems <br />to reduce the number of people and value of property at risk after a storm, The <br />plan is intended to protect and enhance the economic stability of the town and <br />protect its most valuable resource - the ocean beach.' <br /> <br />Strengthen Buildings and Public Facilities <br />Another strategy to reduce potential disaster losses is to undertake measures to <br />protect property from the effects of hazards, Mitigation is typically less expensive <br />to implement in the pianning and construction of new development, rather than <br />after buildings have been constructed, Disaster-resistant design and construction, <br />among the most cost-effective mitigation measures, is a central feature of the <br />strategy embodied by the Blue Sky Foundation, another North Carolina mitigation <br />success. <br /> <br />Additional strategies include the use of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds to <br />retrofit businesses and critical public facilities, and the enforcement of local flood <br />damage prevention ordinances. <br /> <br />Adoption and Enforcement of Building Codes, Building codes, which apply <br />pnmarily to new construction or buildings undergoing sub stant tal alteration, are <br />long,term measures that increase the likelihood that buildings subject to the Code <br />are built to minimize damage from natural hazards, North Carolina's mandatory <br />Statewide Building Code includes provisions that address fire, seismic, flood, and <br />high,wind resistance, The Code is administered and enforced by county or munici- <br />pal inspectors who are certified by the state, <br /> <br />When contractors and developers comply with the codes, and when communities <br />have active inspection and enforcement programs, building codes workw Lives <br />are saved, injuries are minimized, and property damage is reduced, For these <br />reasons, the state continues to emphasize the education of public officials and the <br />general public on the importance of building codes and construction standards, <br /> <br />To promote building codes as a key element in the state's mitigation strategy, <br />NCEMD, other state agencies, and the Blue Sky Foundation are emphasizing: <br /> <br />. proposals for \,vindproofjng, fireproofing. and floodproofing homes and cost- <br />effective strengthening fearures in specifications for publicly funded housing <br />programs; <br /> <br />. promocion of other incentives (e.g., casualty insurance premiums and bank <br />mortgage programs) that \","ill foster public acceptance of cost-effective <br />strengthening features; and <br /> <br />. technical assistance to coastal communities to reviev..I building codes and <br />zoning ordinances to determine if future development. including permanent <br />recreational vehicles, can be sited and constructed to reduce exposure to <br />hurricane damage.11 <br /> <br />Y""""1ifIt <br />Part One: Hazard M~i9ationand Sustainable Commumties ^ <br />,.. qiH._ .., .~ - <br /> <br />:.,'~~'.:.~':~:f:..:';.:i:~!I~~_ <br />