As hurricane season commences, the Biden administration has announced a campaign to promote more resilient construction. The National Initiative to Advance Building Codes is designed to help buildings withstand damage caused by natural disasters including wildfires, tornadoes, and floods.
The codes ensure, for example, that roofs can withstand hurricane-force winds, that construction materials are resistant to flood damage and that insulation helps reduce heating and cooling costs, officials said.
The effort will begin with federal buildings. The newer codes, AP reports, could save $138 billion in energy costs and prevent carbon emissions equivalent to 195 million gas-powered cars in a year.