New measures focus on addressing flooding, storms, and extreme heat.
President Joe Biden unveiled five new initiatives aimed at tackling extreme weather conditions, including heat and other hazards, during his speech at the Emergency Operations Center in Washington on July 2.
Highlighting the significant impact of extreme weather events on both lives and the economy, President Biden emphasized the need for proactive measures to mitigate these challenges.
He pointed out that in the previous year, weather-related disasters incurred over $90 billion in damages in the United States alone.
With nearly 2.5 million people displaced in 2023 due to weather-related disasters, the president underscored the threats posed by extreme weather to various sectors like transportation, power grids, agriculture, fisheries, and forests.
Addressing Extreme Heat
President Biden announced that the Department of Labor is proposing a new rule to establish the nation’s first federal safety standard for excessive heat in workplaces. This rule aims to prevent heat-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities among the 36 million workers in industries like construction, postal services, and manufacturing.
The proposed rule would mandate employers to identify heat hazards, implement emergency response plans, provide training on heat-related illnesses, offer rest breaks, shade, water, and allow new workers to acclimatize to heat conditions.
President Biden highlighted the ongoing heat warnings across the country, citing recent record-breaking temperatures in cities like Washington DC, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. He announced the convening of the first “White House summer on extreme heat” to collaborate with stakeholders in safeguarding communities and workers from extreme weather conditions.
New FEMA and EPA Actions
Aside from addressing heat, President Biden addressed other extreme weather events, including Hurricane Beryl in the southern Caribbean, which marked the earliest occurrence of a dangerous category five hurricane in American history.
He announced two new actions involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including a rule that would require FEMA to consider future flooding impacts in all federally funded construction projects.
FEMA also introduced grants totaling nearly $1 billion for over 650 projects nationwide to enhance community resilience against natural disasters like heatwaves, storms, and flooding.
Furthermore, President Biden highlighted the Environmental Protection Agency’s upcoming report that will outline the continued effects of climate change on the environment and public health in the United States.
