Building Resilience Coalition, April 14, 2022 – It’s a short Act relative to legislation coming before Congress, but it could have a far-reaching impact across America.
The Act cited as the “Resilient Assistance for Mitigation for Environmentally Resilient Infrastructure and Construction by Americans Act” or the Resilient AMERICA Act is going to the Senate for review and approval.
An Its purpose is to improve the provision of Federal resources to help build capacity and fund risk-reducing, cost-effective mitigation projects for eligible State, local, tribal, and territorial governments and specific private non-profit organizations.
The Act raises allowable funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program from 6% to 15%. This will enable funding for many more projects to reduce the risks of devastation from disasters and develop and enforce hazard-resistant construction codes.
The adoption of hazard-resistant codes and standards is critical, as upwards of 30% of new construction has taken place in communities that either have no principles or apply codes and standards that are outdated, notes the National Institute of Building Sciences.
New hazard resistant codes could lower more than $600 billion in cumulative direct losses from floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes over the next four decades, said the Institute.
The Resilient AMERICA Act was initiated by the BuildStrong Coalition, composed of insurers, firefighters, emergency responders, engineers and other groups focusing on resilience.
The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) joined the members of the Build Strong Coalition in sending a letter to Congress in support of the Resilient AMERICA Act. The NRMCA Government Affairs team engaged with legislation sponsors, communicating NRMCA’s support in the days leading to the vote on the House floor.
The Resilient AMERICA Act was drafted and introduced by ready mixed concrete champions, including House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) and Dan Webster (R-FL).
According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, part of NOAA, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 2021, there were 20 weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each that will affect the United States.
These events included one drought event, two flooding events, 11 severe storm events, four tropical cyclone events, one wildfire event, and one winter storm event. Overall, these events resulted in the deaths of 724 people and had significant economic effects on the areas impacted.
The U.S. has sustained 323 weather and climate disasters since 1980, where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2022). The total cost of these 323 events exceeds $2.195 trillion.
The Resilient AMERICA Act will reduce disaster damages and hardships by prioritizing disaster mitigation,” said Congressman Sam Graves (R-MO). “In my district, many people have suffered losses to their homes and business because of flooding. This bill makes common-sense reforms to ensure that we invest more FEMA resources on the front end to reduce and prevent the impacts of floods and other disasters before they can strike.”
That is why one of the more significant provisions of the AMERICA Act is the requirement that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) set aside 10 percent of its funds each year to further the implementation of the latest building codes and to carry out pilot programs to allow the retrofitting of homes with hazard mitigation measures.
The Payoff is Significant
In 2019 the Portland Cement Association (PCA) released a report detailing The Real Value of Resilient Construction. The report demonstrated through historical data, evidence from external sources, and comparisons of building materials that resilient design and construction built with concrete lead to longer-lasting buildings due to concrete’s ability to stand up to normal wear and tear and resistance to extreme weather events.
“U.S. taxpayers cannot afford to continue building and rebuilding the way we did in the past,” said Michael Ireland, PCA President and CEO. “Strong, robust structures ensure community continuity and provide long-lasting value for scarce taxpayer dollars.”
The report noted, “If there is a positive development to come out of the high cost of disasters, it’s the recognition that costs can be reduced by investing in mitigation against the impacts of hazards. The National Institute of Building Sciences estimates that for every $1 spent on resilient building and construction, $6 in recovery costs can be saved.”
Beyond the enormous savings that are possible from measures that will lower the damages associated with disasters is the fact that resiliency measures don’t have to break the bank. “When designing a new building, adjusting the minimum codes to make it safe during a large earthquake represents only 1% to 3% of the total cost of that building,” notes Evan Reis, Executive Director and Co-founder of the U.S. Resiliency Council.
That was one of the takeaway messages from a keynote address by Reis at the 2018 Summit of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region in Spokane, Washington, sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Building Resilience Coalition.
Natural disasters will be a continuing part of our lives, noted Reis. “The key lesson to be learned,” he added, “is that disasters are going to happen at some point, and the decisions that leaders make today may not benefit them during their time in the office or during their time as the head of a company, or even during their lifetime. But they will happen.”
The difference between catastrophic devastation and manageable recovery following a disastrous event can often be traced back to decades earlier decisions. “If we think about the long-term, future generations are as important to us as our generation. We don’t have to be the one that cuts the ribbon, but somebody will be around, and people will be affected just like during the floods in Houston, or hurricanes in Miami or the wildfires in the Northwest.”
William Larson, Chair of the Building Resilience Coalition, echoed his observations. He noted it is essential to recognize that we are not rebuilding to return to what we used to call ‘normal’ or achieve a new normal in the wake of a natural disaster. “We are building to deal with new climate realities that are anything but average, he added; that is why the Resilient AMERICA Act is necessary.
“How we live, work, learn and relax will change from today. Resiliency, Recovery, Adaptation, Risk Reduction, and Durability will become the signposts for the built environment. That is our new reality, “ he added.
The Pacific Northwest Building Resilience Coalition represents thousands of private companies committed to improving planning, development, and the construction of homes, buildings, communities, and associated infrastructure capable of surviving, recovering from, and adapting to the growing impacts of natural disasters, climate change, and an ever-evolving urban and physical environment. Read more about the Coalition here.
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