Hurricane Ida Wreaks Havoc, but Louisiana’s Levees Hold Firm
September 02, 2021
Throughout New Orleans, Louisiana, residents are still beset with remnants of Hurricane Katrina 16 years after it made landfall, breaching New Orleans’ levees and ultimately devastating communities, leading to 1,800 deaths. On the 16th anniversary of the tragic storm, the very same region was besieged by Hurricane Ida, which reached winds of 150 miles per......
ASCE Legislative Victory: Passage of WRDA 2020
December 21, 2020
Today, Congress passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020 – a major legislative victory for ASCE! The House and Senate passed WRDA 2020 with bipartisan support as a part of the massive end of the year appropriations and stimulus package. Throughout 2020, ASCE members and staff advocated for improvement in all 16 infrastructure......
House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure Advances Water Resources Development Act of 2020
July 15, 2020
This week, the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure introduced and passed the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020, H.R. 7575. The bill is expected to receive a full House vote the week of July 27. Earlier this spring, the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works passed their WRDA bill, the bipartisan......
National Levee Safety Program Gets Some Love in the FY20 Minibus
June 21, 2019
Tis the season for appropriations! The fiscal year 2020 (FY20) appropriations process is well underway, and the House of Representatives passed the first minibus of FY20 spending bills, H.R. 2740, which contained a blockbuster win for ASCE: increased funding for the National Levee Safety Program (NLSP)! Although the minibus does not fund the program at......
October 25, 2018
This week, President Trump signed S. 3021 (Public Law No: 115-270), the America’s Water Infrastructure Now Act of 2018, or the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018, into law. The Senate passed this bill by a vote of 99-1, while the House passed it by voice vote. Read ASCE’s official statement on the House’s September passage of WRDA,......
ASCE Celebrates the Passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018
October 11, 2018
Yesterday, the Senate passed S. 3021, the America’s Water Infrastructure Now Act of 2018, or the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018 by a vote of 99-1. Earlier this year, ASCE President Kristina Swallow testified before the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee about the importance of long-term, strategic investment in America’s water resources......
September 14, 2018
Today, the House of Representatives passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018, S. 3021. The passage of this bill authorizes key programs and projects that are critical to improving our nation’s water-related infrastructure categories. The 2017 Infrastructure Report Card graded each of these categories; ports received a grade of “C+,” while dams, levees,......
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......
Infrastructure Week: Time to Build
May 15, 2017
The fifth annual Infrastructure Week is underway. More than 100 events are being held around the country this week, with the goal of elevating infrastructure as a critical issue impacting all Americans. Things kicked off Monday morning with an event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, featuring Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Los Angeles Mayor Eric......
Louisiana Report Card Gives Infrastructure a “D+”
April 26, 2017
The Louisiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers released the 2017 Report Card for Louisiana Infrastructure on April 26. To assign grades, 50 volunteer civil engineers from across the state analyzed 11 categories of infrastructure over 18 months. Scores ranged from a “C+” for Dams and Solid Waste to a “D-” in Drinking......