Rebuilding With FEMA Funds after Emergencies Requires New Standards

Bridge washout from Hurricane Maria

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released an Interim Policy that requires any rebuilding after an emergency to comply with a number of consensus-based codes and standards as a prerequisite for receiving emergency funds. This is version 2 of the interim guidance, and I’m not familiar with the previous iterations so I can’t speak to what’s new. But I noticed that many of the standards listed (IBC, AASHTO LRFD) are standards I’m familiar with in my practice. But for those who get involved in FEMA work, they should review the list of relevant standards to ensure they comply with the requirements.

Source: Rebuilding stronger, Resiliently Requires ASCE Codes and Standards | ASCE’s 2017 Infrastructure Report Card