S. 3919: Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program Enhancement Act

This bill, titled the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program Enhancement Act, aims to improve hurricane forecasting and warning systems in the United States. It proposes several key actions and objectives, as outlined below:

Program Maintenance and Objectives

The Under Secretary of Commerce will oversee an enhanced program focused on hurricane forecasting in collaboration with the weather industry and academic partners. The main goal is to provide more accurate forecasts and warnings to help reduce the loss of life and property associated with hurricanes. This includes:

• Understanding and predicting rapid changes in hurricane intensity and their expected paths.
• Providing better forecasting and communication regarding inland flooding, compound flooding, and storm surges caused by hurricanes.
• Applying findings from social, behavioral, risk communication, and economic sciences to inform and protect communities better.
• Exploring and implementing innovative observation technologies, such as new sensors and measurement methods.

Research and Grant Activities

The Under Secretary will award grants to support research in various areas, which include:

• Applying strategies from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 2019 report on improving hurricane forecasts.
• Enhancing understanding in social and behavioral sciences as they relate to communicating risks effectively.
• Advancing physical sciences, modeling operations, and tools that address hurricane formation and impacts on the environment.

Warnings and Preparedness

To implement these improvements, the Under Secretary will:

• Conduct necessary research to develop advanced probabilistic weather forecasting technologies for hurricanes.
• Integrate relevant social, behavioral, and economic sciences into hurricane modeling efforts.
• Expand computational capabilities, including cloud computing, to produce higher-resolution hurricane models.

Annual Reporting Requirements

The bill also mandates that the Under Secretary submit an annual report until 2029 that includes:

• Details on missed mission requirements for hurricane operations and their causes (e.g., equipment issues, aircraft availability).
• Information about requested but unfulfilled forecasting requirements, along with reasons for these omissions.
• A workforce management plan addressing personnel needs for hurricane observational data collection.
• A summary of hurricane technology development aimed at improving forecasting confidence, including the status of technologies under research, development, and transition into operational use.

Relevant Companies

• NDAQ - The Nasdaq Inc. could be impacted as enhanced forecasting may lead to regulatory changes affecting weather-dependent industries listed on the exchange.
• IBM - IBM, known for its cloud computing solutions, may see increased demand for its technologies as the bill encourages expansion of computational resources for hurricane modeling.
• AAPL - Apple Inc. may be impacted through its involvement in developing weather apps and technologies that utilize improved forecasting data.