WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today Congressman David Wu held a hearing on efforts to reduce devastating losses from windstorms, including hurricanes, tornados, and thunderstorms.  The National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP) was created by Congress in 2004, but has received little funding or attention from the Bush administration.

Congressman Wu, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation, called the hearing to review NWIRP’s activities and examine the role that research and development plays in saving lives and reducing property losses from windstorms.  

“No part of the country is safe from windstorms, as we in the Pacific Northwest were reminded last December,” said Wu.  “The hurricane-force winds and heavy rains experienced on the Oregon and Washington coasts caused five tragic deaths, left thousands of people with damaged homes and businesses, and destroyed vital infrastructure.  Knowing that these types of storms will certainly strike again, we must do more to prevent the loss of life and property.”

Insurance claims for Oregon non-flood-related damage from the December 1, 2007 storm were over $70 million, and local and state officials have sought $53 million in federal money to repair damaged and destroyed infrastructure.  

Although national estimates vary widely on the extent of property damage and economic losses from windstorms, since 2004, windstorms have cost the country well over $160 billion.  

“Damage from storms is projected to increase as a greater number of Americans move to coastal areas,” said Wu.  “Over the past 35 years, costs associated with damages from wind-related natural disasters have doubled or tripled each decade.”

Windstorms are also a hazard to the health and life of those in their path.  According to the National Weather Research Service, high winds from natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornados are responsible for roughly 124 fatalities and over 1,600 injuries annually in the United States.  Over 100 Americans have been killed in tornados this spring alone, putting 2008 on track to be one of the deadliest years on record for wind-related fatalities.

“We are not completely powerless to reduce the losses from windstorms,” said Wu.  “Current mitigation techniques can greatly decrease the amount of wind damage—in some cases by as much as 50 to 60 percent.  We need a greater focus on wind hazard mitigation research and on the process of turning that research into tools and guidelines for developers, builders, and property owners to increase safety and reduce structural damage and fatalities.”  

The National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program is a federal program that was created to conduct coordinated research and development on the nature of windstorms, their effects, and ways to mitigate their impact.  NWIRP includes the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA).  
 
“Unfortunately, since it was enacted, the program has done little to address this very sizable problem,” said Wu.  “If we are going to reauthorize this program, we must do more to make sure that it meets its goals of improving the safety of Americans by increasing protection from wind hazards.”   

For more information, please see the Science and Technology Committee’s website.