Many millions of dollars are spent annually on storm damage repairs worldwide. Naturaldisasters are a recurring threat to life and infrastructure today. The frequency and intensity ofdisasters is increasing. Major storm events commonly lead to widespread flooding, roadwashouts, numerous failed bridges and culverts, and large and small scale slope failures,particularly on low-volume roads.Fortunately many measures can be undertaken to reduce the vulnerability and prevent orminimize the damage caused by storms. This can be considered Storm Damage RiskReduction, or “storm proofing” a road. For storm damage prevention, planning for majorstorm events, sound engineering analysis, the use of roads Best Management Practices, andthe application of mitigation measures are needed.Storm damage risk reduction first involves an assessment of any given road, the naturalsetting, the value of the road, traffic use, and design standards. Roads in areas of high risk,in steep terrain, areas subject to flooding, and those most important should be prioritized forpreventative work.Measures to reduce the risk of road damage include keeping the road well maintained andthe drainage system functioning; using frequent cross-drain structures; preventing streamdiversion; minimizing debris in channels; keeping slopes well vegetated; etc.
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