Sen Maria Cantwell is urging President Trump to prioritize modernization of the country’s weather forecast system, saying that the investment will save the road as well as money along with money. He issued a letter to the President on Monday, through this His pledge to provide guidance The administration may use weather forecast to upgrade infrastructure.
“Money will save you money, of course,” Cantwell said in an interview on CBS News on Monday. “The kind of investment you can here is about taking $ 20 billion [disaster] The event is more saying, if we have already done these things, then we will not spend so much money from it. If the storms are spending us a lot, then we have to come with better solutions. ,
The Democratic Congress, a major voice in the environment on Capital Hill and the ranking members of the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transport, who oversee weather and disasters. Cantwell wrote a letter in view of disastrous floods Killed at least 135 people In Central Texas. July 4 Flash Flood inspired a massive discovery and recovery operation and raised questions about it Would the forecast and warnings be more effective Prior to time.
Cantwell’s letter underlined five bilateral recommendations to improve US forecast. It comes Trump administration continues to cut In the national ocean and atmospheric administration, the federal agency focused on weather and climate, and the national weather service, in -charge of daily forecasts.
NOAA Slated to see 27% decrease in your budget At the beginning of 2026 financial year, which Can affect weather forecasting In many ways, aimed at predicting future rainfall rates and helping to improve flash flood warning systems, in many ways, ending research programs. The committee recently Dr. Hearing a confirmation to become the new leader of NOAA for Neil Jacobs.
“Communities across the United States are experiencing more frequent, acute, and expensive flash floods, storms, tornadoes, atmospheric rivers, landslides, heatwaves and forest fire,” said Cantwell’s letter. He cited deadly – and expensive – natural disasters, which have destroyed communities around the United States in the last two years, including the flood of Texas as well as floods from Hurricane Helen last year North Carolina And destructive fire in Los Angeles and Hawaii of Mauyan,
Such examples suggest that “more time and exact weather information to Americans can avoid billions in property loss and save lives,” he wrote.
In response to the letter, a White House spokesman told CBS News in a statement that “the Trump administration is already difficult to work on re -orienting the NOAA and NWS. [the National Weather Service] Instead of furthering the activation of climate change, modernization of chronic technology of agencies to focus on its main mission and provide more accurate weather models. ,
Emphasis on improving the recommendations of Cantwells has been emphasized on how weather figures are collected and analyzed, as well as systems to inform serious weather communities. they include:
- Upgrade the Doppler radar network of the country “Phased array radar,” Weather conditions, profile wind patterns and a high resolution system to track the aircraft simultaneously. The national ocean and atmospheric administration has stated that this type of radar allows for more “focused comments of storms” compared with Doppler’s abilities, and provides quick updates for meteorologists working with a sudden change and consciousness for sudden changes during an extreme phenomenon.
- With the next generation satellites, relying by NOAA and its national weather service, replacing old -weather satellites, which can “track lightanning strikes, which wildfire, wildfire smoke, red tides start, which are poisoned, and usually offer better extreme weather warnings,” according to cantwells.
- Improving the integrated ocean observation system of NOAA, which uses devices such as buoys to collect sea data that is often integral for weather forecasting, containing search and rescue initiatives and navigation more widely.
- To increase the accuracy of the prediction model of NOAA, investing in a forecast technology called supercomputes, data analytics and data asmita, which is less accurate than its European equivalent.
- Weather and Climate Research through NOAA’s Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Office. Office is a basis for climate prediction efforts worldwide, currently and east employed many meteorologists employed by federal agency Told CBS NewsBut the 2026 budget plan of Mr. Trump proposed to end it completely.
- First for the preparation of the respondents and the public, and modernization of the weather alert system to react to extreme weather events.
- Adulting the bipartisan law, which supports weather research and forecast efforts, such as the Weather Act Rithorization Act, such as Cantwell introduced with Sen Ted Cruise, a Republican, headed by the Senate Commerce Committee.
Tracy J. Wholf contributed to this report.
