Thespians Prove Preparedness Pays
Feb
22
Written by:
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
In 2006, with images from Hurricane Katrina fresh on the mind, the New England Youth Theatre took measures to protect building they were renovating and new additions against flood damage. Those measures paid off in August 2011 when Tropical Storm Irene caused massive flooding across Vermont including NEYT’s home, Brattleboro.
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Jerry Stockman & Bari Shamas of NEYT Demonstrate Floodgate
Photo: Chip Greenberg
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Low-tech measures such as thickening the building’s concrete slab to resist hydraulic pressure, a concrete barrier to protect against flood-borne debris, and inexpensive drop-in floodgates to span doorways were employed to protect the building which is in a 100 year floodplain*. The flood, which came within 4” of the top of the 20” high floodgates, left the building with only minor water infiltration and damage to carpeting. They were back in operation in less than a week with only minor disruptions to their programming. More information about NEYT’s flood protection measures is available on the Vermont Strong web site.
New England Youth Theatre’s experience is proof positive that effective measures taken in advance of a disaster can greatly reduce property damage and disruption to business.
Artists: the Studio Protector online guide has information on flood insurance and other preparedness measures for artists.
Organizations: the new ArtsReady toolkit can help you develop a plan for all kinds of emergencies.
*While being in a 100 year flood plain may not sound that bad, it is actually a theoretical number based on best guesses about the probability of being flooded in any given year. The chances of being flooded during the time you occupy a building may be much higher than you think. Floodsafety.com has a web page on Assessing Your Flood Risk.