42 U.S.C. § 15701: Findings

Summary

Creates a federal role to reduce harm from hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms, which can cause deaths, injuries, property loss, and economic and social disruption in every state. These storms cost the United States several billion dollars each year, and more development in high‑risk areas has raised vulnerability. Reducing losses will rely on better building design and construction, local and national mitigation, improved data and research, and public education. A federal program must coordinate agencies and get input from people, researchers, businesses, and other nonfederal groups.

Title 42, §15701

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Congress finds the following:

(1)Hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes, and thunderstorms can cause significant loss of life, injury, destruction of property, and economic and social disruption. All States and regions are vulnerable to these hazards.

(2)The United States currently sustains several billion dollars in economic damages each year due to these windstorms. In recent decades, rapid development and population growth in high-risk areas has greatly increased overall vulnerability to windstorms.

(3)Improved windstorm impact reduction measures have the potential to reduce these losses through—

(A)cost-effective and affordable design and construction methods and practices;

(B)effective mitigation programs at the local, State, and national level;

(C)improved data collection and analysis and impact prediction methodologies;

(D)engineering research on improving new structures and retrofitting existing ones to better withstand windstorms, atmospheric-related research to better understand the behavior and impact of windstorms on the built environment, and subsequent application of those research results; and

(E)public education and outreach.

(4)There is an appropriate role for the Federal Government in supporting windstorm impact reduction. An effective Federal program in windstorm impact reduction will require interagency coordination, and input from individuals, academia, the private sector, and other interested non-Federal entities.

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Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

of 2015 Amendment Pub. L. 114–52, § 1, Sept. 30, 2015, 129 Stat. 496, provided that: “This Act [amending sections 15702 to 15704 and 15706 of this title] may be cited as the ‘National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of 2015’.”

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Pub. L. 108–360, title II, § 201, Oct. 25, 2004, 118 Stat. 1675, provided that: “This Act [probably should be ‘this title’, enacting this chapter and amending section 1885d of this title] may be cited as the ‘National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004’.”

§15701 Findings

Summary

Title 42, §15701

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

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Citations & Metadata