January 4, 2000

Urge your Representative to join the Congressional Wind Hazard Reduction Caucus

All 50 states are vulnerable to the hazards of windstorms, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Hurricane Floyd, which hit North Carolina on September 15, 1999, killed 51 people and caused an estimated $6 billion in damage. On May 3, 1999, tornadoes in Oklahoma and Kansas caused 49 deaths and over $1 billion in damage. In 1998, a calm year according to experts, wind-related storms across the nation resulted in more than $5.5 billion in damages and at least 186 fatalities. Wind storms especially affect the civil engineering profession because civil engineers plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain much of the nation?s infrastructure, which is at risk from these destructive storms.

But with a Wind Hazard Reduction Program in place, a great deal of damage and destruction could be prevented. Under the stewardship of ASCE, the Congressional Wind Hazard Reduction Caucus has been formed to increase the awareness of members of the U.S. Congress about the public safety and economic loss issues associated with wind. The goal of the caucus is to seek government funding to support a National Wind Hazard Reduction Program (NWHRP) that would focus on increasing public safety and decreasing the economic losses associated with tropical storms, thunderstorms, and tornadoes.

The NWHRP would address:

• Better design and construction methods and practices;
• Better emergency response;
• Use of modern technology for early-warning systems;
• Building codes enforcement; and
• Public education and involvement programs.

Action Needed

If your Representative is not already a member of the Caucus (see list below), please contact your member of the House of Representatives and urge him/her to join the Congressional Wind Hazard Reduction Caucus.

What to Say

When appropriate, please cite examples of how wind hazards have affected you personally or professionally; personal stories are very meaningful and often leave more of an impression than hard facts alone. Your message will also be most effective if you present yourself as an interested citizen and civil engineer, not as a member of ASCE.

You may wish to discuss some of the following points:

• Hurricane Floyd, which hit North Carolina on September 15, 1999, killed 51 people and caused an estimated $6 billion in damage. In 1998, there were 14 tropical storms and 10 hurricanes that caused $3.6 billion in damages and 32 deaths. A report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently concluded that, ?In virtually every coastal city of any size from Texas to Maine? the United States is building toward a hurricane disaster.?
• Tornadoes in Oklahoma and Kansas on May 3, 1999 caused 49 deaths and over $1 billion in damage. During 1998, there were 488 tornadoes of at least category F1 that caused 130 deaths and 1,868 injuries. Property damage totaled $1.56 billion including $22 million in crop damage. Tornadoes have hit every state - the United States has more than any other country.
• Thunderstorms in 1998 caused 41 fatalities and 860 injuries. Property damage was over $1 billion, including $161 million in crop damage.
• At approximately $5 million, the Federal investment to develop and promote knowledge, practices, and policies that seek to reduce, and where possible, eliminate losses from wind related disasters is woefully inadequate. In contrast, although earthquakes have caused less damage than windstorms, the Federal government invests nearly $100 million per year in reducing earthquake losses through the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program.

Caucus Members

To date, 16 Members of Congress have joined the Caucus. They are:

• Co-Chair Walter Jones (R-NC)
• Co-Chair Dennis Moore (D-KS)
• Richard Burr (R-NC)
• Eva Clayton (D-NC)
• Bob Clement (D-TN)
• Mike Doyle (D-PA)
• Phil English (R-PA)
• Bob Etheridge (D-NC)
• Mark Foley (R-FL)
• Virgil Goode (D-VA)
• Ralph M. Hall (D-TX)
• Robin Hayes (R-NC)
• Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
• Paul Kanjorski (D-PA)
• Mike McIntyre (D-NC)
• David Price (D-NC)

Contacting Your Member of Congress

Congressional addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers and e-mail locations can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.house.gov/.

While Congress is in recess, this would be a great time to visit or contact your member in his/her home district office. Most Representatives should be in their districts until late January. If you would like to meet with your member, call his/her district office to make an appointment. District office information can often be found in the blue pages of the phone book or by calling your local registrar of voter?s or board of elections office.

Besides a visit, a written or personal letter continues to be the preferred method of communication for both members of Congress and staff. Address your letter in the following manner:

If you send e-mail, please be sure to include your full postal address and contact information so that the congressional office will know where to send a response and, most importantly, identify you as a constituent. Most offices currently will not respond by e-mail, but if you include your address, will respond by postal mail.

If you prefer, you can call the main U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202/224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Member?s office. If the member of Congress is not available, ask to speak to the staff person who handles public safety/natural disaster issues.

Follow-Up with ASCE

Please be sure to let us know if you made a visit or phone call, or send a copy of your correspondence to ASCE?s Government Relations Department, fax 202/289-6797 or e-mail govwash@asce.org.