Although the federal government has been delaying or rescinding programs that address alternative energy sourcing and climate resiliency, the Department of Defense (DoD) is looking at ways to reduce energy usage and protect military installations from the effects of climate change. Last month, the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (Act) was signed into... Continue Reading →
The dramatic images of water crashing down the Oroville Dam Spillway in California have shown us that we are dependent on infrastructure that is now well over 50 years old. Engineers know that the hydrologic models used to model weather events are based on data that was collected decades ago. As noted in an article... Continue Reading →
In January of 2015, the Obama Administration issued Executive Order 13690. The order was aimed at improving resilience to current and future flood risks and modified the 1977 Executive order 119888, which addressed flood plain development. Among other actions, the new order directed FEMA to develop a proposed amendment to 44 CFR part 9, “Floodplain... Continue Reading →
The scale of the recent Louisiana floods have shown that one of the effects of global climate change is increased rain storms that lead to flooding. Experts say that recent floods in multiple states (from Maryland to South Carolina to Louisiana to Texas) that were identified in the media as a once-in-every 500 or 1,000-year... Continue Reading →
As sea levels rise, design firms need to be aware of the relatively new concept of "resilient" buildings. While many firms will incorporate the principles of resilient design into their practices in the coming decade, doing so is not part of today’s standard of care. Resilient design recommendations are in response to studies that address... Continue Reading →
