Review HUD's Disaster Guidance Before Severe Weather Hits

While the country is still dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Atlantic hurricane season is currently on pace to match the number of named storms during the historic 2005 hurricane season, which was the most active hurricane season on record. Hurricane season brings extreme events and creates conditions that spread disease and viruses.

Before a severe weather event causes property damage or resident displacement at your site, you should review HUD’s multifamily housing guidance for disaster recovery found in Chapter 38: Multifamily Emergency/Disaster Guidance, from HUD Handbook 4350.1. This chapter can be accessed at www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/mfh/disasterguide. The information found here will make post-recovery efforts go more smoothly if an event occurs that impacts your property and/or your residents. See our Model Checklist: Your Responsibilities Before, During, and After Emergencies and Disasters, for a handy summary.

Following an event that affects residents and/or sites, HUD has reporting obligations based on information its staff obtains from site owners. Owners are obligated to immediately report physical damage to a property interior or exterior that has resulted from a fire, flood, wind, severe cold, or other natural disaster or weather event. In such cases, owners are encouraged to complete and forward damage assessment forms to HUD. For a FEMA Declared Emergency or Disaster, you can use the Preliminary Disaster Assessment Form found at Appendix A-3 of Chapter 38 of Handbook 4350.1.