Institutional and commercial have been all but turned upside down in the last year. But just as the COVID-19 pandemic shows strong signs of subsiding in the United States, facility managers must continue to monitor and prepare for a range of emergencies and crises that will test their facilities’ resilience.
As hurricane season approaches, experts say the country is still not adequately prepared, according to The Hill. They warn that as climate change continues to intensify extreme weather, the United States will need to adopt stronger resilience policies.
Gavin Dillingham, director of clean energy policy at the Houston Advanced Research Center, says there has not been a significant amount of preparation for major storm surge related to hurricanes beyond standard infrastructure work for reliability of power systems.
This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that hurricane season, which started June 1, will be above average, with between six and 10 hurricanes.
The White House recently announced it would double funding to $1 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s program that helps communities take on hazard mitigation projects, and President Biden’s infrastructure plan also calls for $50 billion in resilience funding.
Dan Hounsell is Senior Editor, Facility Market.
