ASCE President: House Select Committee’s Climate Crisis Action Plan Includes ASCE Recommendations
June 30, 2020
The following is a statement by K.N. Gunalan “Guna,” Ph.D., P.E., President, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in response to the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis’ Solving the Climate Crisis action plan: “Resiliency and adapting to a changing climate go hand in hand, and we must now be anticipating how dramatic changes......
ASCE Responds to FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program
May 13, 2020
By: Martin Hight ASCE filed comments with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on May 11th, in response to a request for comments on its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. The BRIC program supports states, local communities, tribes, and territories in projects that reduce risks from disasters and natural hazards. This grant......
Rebuilding stronger, Resiliently Requires ASCE Codes and Standards
January 17, 2020
In 2019, we witnessed a drastic increase in hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, and more. We must be thinking about ways to make our infrastructure last and withstand future risks. That means ensuring our infrastructure is more resilient by using new technologies, approaches, materials—but also incorporating the latest codes and standards, which will, in the end, cut......
Resilience Revolving Loan Fund Helps Cities and States Prepare for the Future Now
September 20, 2019
We’re at peak hurricane season, with the recent Hurricane Dorian squeaking by the Carolinas, but devastating the Bahamas. At the same time in Houston, torrential rain and deadly flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda is canceling flights, leaving hundreds of cars abandoned in the roads, and turning roads into rivers. Now is an......
FEMA Unveils New National Mitigation Investment Strategy
August 16, 2019
National Preparedness Month (NPM) hits September 1, and has a slight head start, with a new strategy from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help improve coordinated efforts and effectiveness of risk management actions that would avoid, reduce, or transfer risks from natural hazards – including severe weather—across sectors. The National Mitigation Investment Strategy......
Disaster Recovery Reform Act headed to the President
October 05, 2018
ASCE and our colleagues in the BuildStrong Coalition are pleased to acknowledge the October 3rd Senate passage of the bipartisan Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA as part of H.R. 302, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2018. The bill will now go to the president’s desk, where it is expected to be signed......
Congress Hosts Series of Disaster Recovery Hearings
April 12, 2018
This week Congress held multiple hearings offering status updates on post-disaster recovery efforts and lessons learned after 2017’s deadly hurricane season. It started off with a field hearing held by the House Committee on Homeland Security entitled “Houston Strong: Hurricane Harvey Lessons Learned and the Path Forward.” Witnesses included officials from the U.S. Army Corps......
Building a Culture of Preparedness at FEMA
March 30, 2018
Last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a new strategic plan to guide the agency from 2018 through 2022. The plan outlines three goals: reducing the complexity of the agency, readying the nation for catastrophic disaster, and building a culture of preparedness. The strategic goals will be driven by twelve supporting strategic objectives......
Updates to the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard
August 31, 2016
The Federal Emergency Managed Agency (FEMA) recently released a proposed rule the could transform how the federal government funds infrastructure built in flood prone areas. The draft rule, formally known as Updates to Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands Regulations To Implement Executive Order 13690 and the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard was published for......
New Report Highlights Limitations of National Levee Safety Initiative
August 17, 2016
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a new report surveying the progress the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have made carrying out the National Levee Safety Program. The conclusion: the Agencies “have made little progress in implementing key national levee-safety-related activities required in the Water Resources Reform and Development......