U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

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19–010

" SENATE ! 107th Congress 

2d Session 

REPORT

2002

107–310

Calendar No. 698

INLAND FLOOD FORECASTING AND 

WARNING SYSTEM ACT OF 2002

REPORT

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND 

TRANSPORTATION

on

H.R. 2486

OCTOBER 10, 2002.—Ordered to be printed 


congress.#13
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SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION 

ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina, Chairman 

DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii 

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia 

JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts 

JOHN B. BREAUX, Louisiana 

BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota 

RON WYDEN, Oregon 

MAX CLELAND, Georgia 

BARBARA BOXER, California 

JOHN EDWARDS, North Carolina 

JEAN CARNAHAN, Missouri 

BILL NELSON, Florida 

JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona 

TED STEVENS, Alaska 

CONRAD BURNS, Montana 

TRENT LOTT, Mississippi 

KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas 

OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine 

SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas 

GORDON SMITH, Oregon 

PETER G. FITZGERALD, Illinois 

JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada 

GEORGE ALLEN, Virginia 

KEVIN D. KAYES, Staff Director 

MOSES BOYD, Chief Counsel 

GREGG ELIAS, General Counsel 

JEANNE BUMPUS, Republican Staff Director and General Counsel 

ANN BEGEMAN, Republican Deputy Staff Director 

ROBERT W. CHAMBERLIN, Republican Chief Counsel 

(II)

Calendar No. 698

107TH CONGRESS REPORT " SENATE ! 2d Session 107–310

INLAND FLOOD FORECASTING AND WARNING SYSTEM ACT 

OF 2002

OCTOBER 10, 2002.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. HOLLINGS, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 2486]

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to 

which was referred the Act (H.R. 2486) to authorize the National 

Weather Service to conduct research and development, training, 

and outreach activities relating to tropical cyclone inland forecasting improvement, and for other purposes, having considered 

the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the Act do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 2486 is to authorize the National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through the United 

States Weather Research Program (USWRP), to improve the capability to forecast inland flooding through research and modeling, 

and to develop, test, and deploy a new flood warning index. 

BACKGROUND AND NEEDS

In 1999, Hurricane Floyd killed 48 people and caused nearly $3 

billion in property damage, primarily through the flooding of inland 

communities. In 2000, Tropical Storm Allison unexpectedly dumped 

more than 35 inches of rain in Texas and traveled from Texas eastward through much of the southeast United States, resulting in 

more than 50 deaths, again, primarily as a result of inland flooding. 

While the National Weather Service has the ability to accurately 

predict most flood events, it has difficulty in forecasting coastal and 

estuary-inland flooding events that are caused by tropical cyclones. 

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In addition, the flood warning index (or scale) currently used by 

the National Weather Service does not include enough information 

about the potential risks and dangers posed by expected floods. 

The USWRP is a $9 million multi-agency collaborative effort of 

research communities, academia, and government. The focus of the 

program is to integrate weather-related research and new developments in technology with public and private sector applications. 

The government participants include NOAA, which houses 

USWRP, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautic 

and Space Administration, and the Department of Defense. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

H.R. 2486 was introduced in the House of Representatives on 

July 12, 2001. It was reported as amended by the Committee on 

Science on June 5, 2002, House Report 107–495. The Act was 

passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 413:3 (Roll no. 

294). Upon passage by the House of Representatives, the Act was 

read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation. On September 19, 2002, in an executive session, the Act was ordered to be reported without amendment favorably. 

ESTIMATED COSTS

In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the Congressional Budget 

Act of 1974, the Committee provides the following cost estimate, 

prepared by the Congressional Budget Office:

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, October 2, 2002. 

Hon. ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, Chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2486, the Inland Flood 

Forecasting and Warning System Act of 2002. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis. 

Sincerely, 

BARRY B. ANDERSON

(For Dan L. Crippen, Director). 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 2486—Inland Flood Forecasting and Warning System Act of 

2002

Summary: H.R. 2486 would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve its ability to forecast 

inland flooding through research and modeling. The act would direct the agency to create and implement a flood warning index, 

train government and other personnel to use new forecasting methodologies, assess trends in inland flooding, and conduct outreach 

and education. Finally, the act would authorize the appropriate of 

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$1.25 million for each of fiscal years 2003 through 2005, and $1.15 

million for 2006 and 2007 for these activities. 

Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO esti- mates that implementing H.R. 2486 would cost about $6 million 

over the 2003–2007 period. Enacting this legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues. 

H.R. 2486 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 

and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated budgetary impact on H.R. 2486 is shown in the following table. The 

costs of this legislation fall within budget function 300 (natural resources and environment). 

For this estimate, CBO assumes that the amounts authorized by 

H.R. 2486 will be appropriated near the beginning of each fiscal 

year and that outlays will follow historical spending patterns for 

similar grant programs.

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars—

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION

Inland Flood Forecasting and Warning 1: 

Authorized Level ................................................................................... 1 1 1 1 1

Estimated Outlays ................................................................................ 1 1 1 1 1

1 NOAA’s National Weather Service $642 million in operating funds from fiscal year 2002 appropriations, about $1.5 million of which was for advanced hydrological forecasting activities similar to those that would be authorized by H.R. 2486. A full-year appropriation for NOAA for 2003 has not yet been provided. 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 2486 contains 

no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in 

UMRA. The act would benefit public universities by authorizing a 

total of $1.55 million in grant funding over the 2003–2007 period 

to institutions of higher education, including public universities, for 

developing models for improved flood forecasts and for analyzing 

long-term trends in the frequency and severity of inland flooding. 

Any costs incurred by states would be voluntary. 

Previous CBO cost estimate: On May 31, 2002, CBO transmitted 

a cost estimate for H.R. 2486 as ordered reported by the House 

Committee on Science on May 22, 2002. The authorization levels 

contained in the Senate version of the legislation are $100,000 

higher than those of the version approved by the House Science 

Committee for fiscal years 2003 through 2005. The cost estimates 

reflect this difference. 

Estimate prepared by: Federal Cost: Deborah Reis; Impact on 

State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Susan Sieg Tompkins; and 

Impact on the Private Sector: Cecil McPherson. 

Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

In accordance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the following evaluation of the regulatory impact of the legislation, as reported: 

Because H.R. 2486 does not create any new programs, the legislation would have no additional regulatory impact, and should result in no additional reporting requirements. The legislation would 

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have no further effect on the number or types of individuals and 

businesses regulated, the economic impact of such regulation, the 

personal privacy of affected individuals, or the paperwork required 

from such individuals and businesses. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

Section 1 would cite the title of the Act as the ‘‘Inland Flood 

Forecasting and Warning System Act of 2002.’’

Section 2. Authorized activities 

Section 2 would authorize NOAA, through the United States 

Weather Research Program, to develop, test, and deploy an inland 

flood warning index for use by public and emergency management 

officials. After developing the index, NOAA would be required to 

train emergency management officials, National Weather Service 

personnel, meteorologists, and others, as appropriate, in the use of 

the new inland flood warning index, and conduct outreach and education activities for the public. 

Section 3. Authorization of appropriations 

Section 3 would authorize appropriations of $1,150,000 for each 

fiscal year (FY) from 2003 through 2007, for a total of $5,750,000 

to NOAA. Of this amount, up to $250,000 for each fiscal year would 

be available for competitive merit reviewed grants to institutions of 

higher education to improve the ability to forecast coastal and estuary-inland flooding associated with tropical cyclones. 

Section 4. Report 

Section 4 would require NOAA, not later than 90 days after the 

Act is enacted, and annually through FY 2007, to report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and 

House of Representatives Committee on Science on the success and 

acceptance of the inland flood warning index. NOAA would also be 

required to report to the House of Representatives Committee on 

Science and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation, not later than January 1, 2006, on the likely longterm trends in inland flooding, and the activities conducted under 

the direction of this legislation, especially activities to alert the 

public and builders to flood hazards. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that the Act as reported 

would make no change to existing law.

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