Flood Protection Guide 1 Reference Guide 62226

Flooding is the world's most frequent, most costly, and most destructive natural disaster — and it is getting worse with every degree of global temperature rise. In the United States alone, FEMA documents that flooding is involved in 90% of all federally declared natural disasters, caused more than $8 billion in building and property damage in 2024, and costs the nation an estimated $179–$496 billion per year when all direct and indirect losses are tallied. Globally, the IPCC AR6 report confirms that extreme precipitation events — the primary driver of flash flooding, riverine flooding, and coastal inundation — have increased in frequency and intensity across every inhabited continent, with further intensification projected under all emissions scenarios. The building stock that faces this accelerating flood risk was not designed for it. Conventional exterior coatings — the primary surface protection on the vast majority of the world's existing buildings — are cosmetic. They were never engineered for flood protection. They crack, delaminate, and allow water infiltration at every seam, fastener point, and hairline crack. This reference document establishes the evidence-based, FEMA-supported, and field-proven case for Green ENCASEMENT Coatings as the definitive proactive flood protection strategy for buildings — delivering the seamless, monolithic, fully-adhered waterproof membrane that FEMA's own technical bulletins call for, at the performance standard the flood crisis demands.