In 2023, the U.S. experienced a record 28 disasters causing over $1 billion in damages, far eclipsing the prior record of 22 in 2020. Many of these disasters are driven by climate change. Communities that are impacted by these disasters often experience a long road to recovery with the reconstruction of houses, schools, businesses and infrastructure. In many cases, this recovery is funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
FEMA has long recognized the importance of building back better to avoid future losses from subsequent events. Building codes have been a key component of this strategy. Rebuilding efforts funded by FEMA require such projects to be built to the latest editions of the International Codes (I-Codes). These requirements are supported by a robust analysis from the Congressionally established National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) that found that $1 invested in keeping building codes up to date yields $11 in benefit and FEMA’s own analysis which found that If all new buildings across the U.S. were built to modern editions of the I-Codes, the country would save more than $600 billion by 2060.