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June 1 marked the first day of the Atlantic hurricane season, and in order to prepare coastal homes for a stormy summer, federal officials have launched an initiative to update building codes for increased hazard resistance. The initiative was approved by the National Climate Task Force earlier in the year amid the earliest warning signs of a potentially destructive year for tropical storms along the East Coast.
Modernized codes will help new buildings withstand natural disasters like wildfires, tornadoes, floods, and storms, which have only become more frequent and more intense over the last several years, Chron reports. The revised standards are also expected to deliver roughly $138 billion in energy cost savings and prevent enough carbon emissions to offset the yearly pollution of 195 million gasoline cars.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted 14 to 21 named storms in the Atlantic this season, with six to 10 becoming hurricanes and three to six turbo-charging into major hurricanes with winds greater than 110 mph (177 kph).
Federal agencies will use $225 million in infrastructure funding already approved for the U.S. Department of Energy to support energy code adoption, enforcement, training and technical assistance at the state and local level.
