September 16, 2015

On September 16, Congress passed the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of 2015 (H.R. 23), which now awaits President Obama’s signature. The bill, introduced by Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX), would reauthorize the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP) through fiscal year 2017.

NWIRP is a federal interagency program intended to better characterize the nature of windstorms and to develop measures to lessen the impacts and damages from windstorms. Agencies under NWIRP include the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which leads the initiative, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In addition to more research, H.R.23 also requires the NSF to support research into economic factors that might influence measures taken to reduce the risk and destruction caused by windstorms.

Sources: Congress.gov, govtrack.us