Post-Disaster Substantial Damage Estimates and Determinations (Online Live)

In the wake of the disaster Code officials (Building Official or Floodplain Manager) will, among many other responsibilities, be tasked with performing substantial damage estimates (SDE) and making substantial damage determinations (SDD). Given that communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) are required to determine whether damage, of any origin, to structures within Special Flood Hazard Areas meets the criteria for Substantial Damage, repairs completed without a permit could potentially violate the NFIP and count against the recovering community resulting in significant financial impacts. This training introduces and discusses the SDE process which approximates the dollar value of the damage and compares it to the appraised value of the building to establish a substantial damage order of magnitude. Then, based on these initial findings, those buildings that are within the selected range can be flagged and an SDD can be performed prior to permitting or repairs. This training then goes on to introduce and discuss the SDD process which is the formal process of determining whether a building has sustained Substantial Damage. This training also provides practice examples accompanied by a discussion focused on the consequences that can occur when these processes are not carried out in a consistent or timely fashion. This training concludes by providing a global overview of the process and measure that code officials can incorporate into their respective jurisdictions.