Improving Flood and Agricultural Forecasts Act of 2024
Impact
The legislation is expected to have significant implications for state and local capabilities in weather-related forecasting and response. Increased coordination among local, state, and federal entities is anticipated through the expanded program. By integrating more extensive and varied data sources, the bill seeks to improve the accuracy of forecasts, which would benefit farmers, emergency managers, and local governments. It also aims to aid the National Weather Service in achieving rapid-response targets, potentially reducing the time it takes to issue severe weather warnings.
Summary
Senate Bill 4901, titled the 'Improving Flood and Agricultural Forecasts Act of 2024', aims to enhance the National Mesonet Program, which is designed to improve forecasts for various atmospheric conditions including floods, droughts, and other environmental events. The bill mandates that the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere ensures the continued development and integration of environmental data through this program. This is pursued by engaging commercial and academic sources to complement federal data, thereby enhancing predictive capabilities essential for public safety and agricultural stability.
Contention
While the bill proposes advancements in weather and environmental monitoring, notable points of contention may arise regarding the allocation of funding and the mechanisms for data sharing. Critics could argue over prioritization, particularly concerning how financial resources are distributed among states and whether underserved regions receive adequate support. Additionally, concerns about ensuring that private sector data sharing aligns with public sector needs and privacy standards may surface as the bill moves forward in the legislative process.
A bill to improve the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's weather research, support improvements in weather forecasting and prediction, expand commercial opportunities for the provision of weather data, and for other purposes.
Improving Atmospheric River Forecasts ActThis bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish an atmospheric river forecast improvement program.In carrying out the program, NOAA must seek to reduce loss of life and property and other economic losses caused by atmospheric river events through research and development on accurate, effective, and actionable forecasting and warnings. The program must generally involve the establishment of quantitative atmospheric river forecast skill metrics, the development of an atmospheric river forecast system within a unified forecast system, and the development of tools and products to predict periods of active or inactive atmospheric river landfalls and inland penetration, among other activities. The program must periodically test and evaluate the value of incorporating innovative observations (e.g., observations from radar, aircraft, ocean buoys, and other sources) to facilitate the improvement of modeling and forecasting. The program must also consider the development of best practices for communicating the existence and severity of atmospheric river events, as well as other information about atmospheric rivers. The program may seek to improve precipitation modeling, with an emphasis on forecasting for complex terrain. The bill also requires NOAA to acquire and sustain adequate crewed and uncrewed aircraft (i.e., drones), equipment, and personnel necessary to meet air reconnaissance mission requirements annually during the expected atmospheric river season (November through March).