The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Act of 2009 (H.R. 3820) to strengthen programs to improve protections against tornadoes and wind damage. Congressman Bart Gordon, who voted for the bill and helped shepherd it through the House as chair of the Committee on Science and Technology, stressed the importance of the legislation to Middle Tennessee residents.
“This bill is a huge step forward for tornado safety and research,” Gordon said. “In the past two years, tornadoes have killed 24 people and injured more than 100 people in Middle Tennessee alone. The programs this bill supports can save lives and millions of dollars in our communities.”
The Natural Hazards bill includes provisions to support the development of more accurate windstorm and tornado modeling and forecasting tools. The bill reauthorizes and strengthens the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, which was created in 2004 to support research and development into windstorms and related technologies. The program supports technological advances in building practices and other safety measures.
“More precise forecasts and more secure buildings will save lives and help reduce the massive costs associated with wind damage,” Gordon said. “These new technologies are the best weapons we have to defend ourselves against these storms.”
The Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Act passed the House with wide bipartisan support, by a margin of 335 to 50. The bill now moves to the U.S Senate.