U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

29–010 

" ! SENATE 

112TH CONGRESS

2d Session 

REPORT

2013

112–266 

Calendar No. 545 

NATIONAL HURRICANE RESEARCH 

INITIATIVE ACT OF 2011 

R E P O R T 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND 

TRANSPORTATION 

ON

S. 692 

JANUARY 2, 2013.—Ordered to be printed 


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(II) 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION 

ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia, Chairman 

DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii 1

JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts 

BARBARA BOXER, California 

BILL NELSON, Florida 

MARIA CANTWELL, Washington 

FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey 

MARK PRYOR, Arkansas 

CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri 

AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota 

TOM UDALL, New Mexico 

MARK WARNER, Virginia 

MARK BEGICH, Alaska 

KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas 

OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine 

JIM DEMINT, South Carolina 

JOHN THUNE, South Dakota 

ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi 

JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia 

ROY BLUNT, Missouri 

JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas 

PATRICK J. TOOMEY, Pennsylvania 

MARCO RUBIO, Florida 

KELLY AYOTTE, New Hampshire 

DEAN HELLER, Nevada 

ELLEN DONESKI, Staff Director 

JAMES REID, Deputy Staff Director 

JOHN WILLIAMS, General Counsel 

RICHARD RUSSELL, Republican Staff Director 

DAVID QUINALTY, Republican Deputy Staff Director 

REBECCA SEIDEL, Republican General Counsel 

1The late Senator Inouye served on the Committee until his death on December 17, 2012. 


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1 United States Department of Commerce & Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. 

Census Bureau, Coastline Population Trends in the U.S.: 1960–2008 (www.census.gov/prod/ 

2010pubs/p25–1139.pdf) 

112TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 112–266 

NATIONAL HURRICANE RESEARCH INITIATIVE ACT OF 

2011 

JANUARY 2, 2013.—Ordered to be printed 

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

Transportation, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 692] 

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to 

which was referred the bill (S. 692) to improve hurricane preparedness by establishing the National Hurricane Research Initiative, 

and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment (in the nature of a substitute) 

and recommends that the bill (as amended) do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of S. 692, the National Hurricane Research Initiative Act of 2011, is to protect the public by establishing a coordinated research effort on hurricane prediction, resilient infrastructure, impact mitigation, public communication, and for other purposes. 

BACKGROUND AND NEEDS

Hurricanes and the resulting storm surges, flooding, and high 

winds often lead to loss of life and property. Increases in population have made the Nation more vulnerable to hurricane damage. 

As of 2008, 29 percent of the U.S. population lived in coastline 

counties, an 84 percent increase from 1960.1 Coastal areas are traditionally at high risk; however, damage from winds, flooding, 

storm surges, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and pressure fluctuations affect the entire Nation. 


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2Roger A. Pilke, Jr. et al. ‘‘Normalized Hurricane Damage in the United States: 1900–2005’’, 

Natural Hazards Review (2008). 3Ibid. 

4Congressional Research Service Report RL33226, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations 

Legislation for Disaster Assistance: Summary Data (2008). 5National Hurricane Center, ‘‘Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Isabel’’ (Revised: January 

16, 2004). 6NOAA, ‘‘Hurricane Katrina: A Climatological Perspective’’ (Updated August 2006) (National 

Climatic Data Center Technical Report #2005–01). 7National Hurricane Center, ‘‘Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ike’’ (January 23, 2009) 

(AL092008). 8Associated Press, ‘‘Superstorm Sandy Deaths, Damage and Magnitude: What We Know One 

Month Later’’ (November 29, 2012). 9 National Science and Technology Council, Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction, Grand Challenges for Disaster Reduction (June 

2005). 

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average U.S. annual economic loss from 1900– 

2005 from hurricanes is about $10 billion,2 and the cumulative cost 

of hurricanes in the country totals hundreds of billions of dollars. 

The current trend suggests that as coastal populations continue to 

grow, bringing with them additional personal wealth, economic 

losses due to hurricanes will continue to double each decade.3 Between fiscal year 1989 and fiscal year 2008, Congress appropriated 

nearly $271 billion through emergency supplementals and other 

spending bills in response to hurricane destruction.4

Recent hurricanes have been particularly costly. In 2003, Hurri- cane Isabel caused over $3 billion in damages along the Atlantic 

Coast and resulted, directly or indirectly, in 34 deaths.5 In 2005, 

Hurricane Katrina resulted in $125 billion in damages and over 

1,833 reported deaths, making it the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history.6 Hurricane Ike caused $25 billion in damages 

and 20 deaths in the southeastern United States in 2008.7 While 

economic analyses of the most recent hurricane are still ongoing, 

Hurricane Sandy has been reported as responsible for at least 125 

deaths and over $62 billion in damages.8

Experts suggest that investment in a broad research portfolio including building codes, infrastructure, fundamental research, modeling, and monitoring could effectively mitigate losses due to extreme hurricane events. In a 2005 report, the National Science and 

Technology Council (NSTC) cites six grand challenges to improve 

the Nation’s disaster resilience: (1) provide hazard and disaster information where and when it is needed; (2) understand the natural 

processes that produce hazards; (3) develop hazard mitigation 

strategies and technologies; (4) recognize and reduce vulnerability 

of interdependent critical infrastructure; (5) assess disaster resilience using standard methods; and (6) promote risk-wise behavior.9

The NSTC offers a combination of both research recommendations and technical goals to address these challenges. The report 

stresses the continued need for basic research into the causes and 

behaviors of storms and other severe weather events. The report 

also highlights the need to develop enhanced modeling techniques 

to enable improved assessments and analysis of infrastructure, 

urban planning, structural engineering, flood zones, and other vulnerable systems. 

Population and economic growth in the 20th century has put unprecedented stress on existing critical infrastructure, reducing its 

resilience to withstand emergency use in a natural disaster. Even 

after the lessons learned in recent severe hurricanes, America’s levVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:28 Jan 04, 2013 Jkt 029010 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\SR266.XXX SR266

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10American Society of Civil Engineers, 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure (March 

25, 2009). 11 National Academy of Sciences (National Research Council), Sustainable Critical Infrastructure Systems: A Framework for Meeting 21st Century Imperatives (2009). 

ees, bridges, wastewater, roads, and electrical grid all remain vulnerable to hurricane damage. The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gave the 

United States a ‘‘D’’ grade and called for a $2.2 trillion investment 

over five years to overcome the deficiencies.10 Hurricane-prone 

areas in particular require communication and transportation infrastructure in advance of extreme weather to alert the public to 

danger and carry out successful evacuations. 

The National Academy of Sciences also identified disaster resiliency as an imperative to meet 21st century infrastructure needs.11

Its 2009 report creates a framework for the nation to develop critical infrastructure with the ability to withstand and quickly recover 

from natural disasters. The components of the plan include: creating a broad and compelling vision; a focus on providing essential 

services involving water and wastewater, power, mobility, and 

connectivity; recognition of the interdependencies among critical infrastructure; a collaborative systems-based approach; and performance measures. The National Academy’s findings reinforce the findings and recommendations of the NSTC report on the challenges 

for disaster resilience and necessary resources to address them. 

This bill would establish a research program addressing the critical needs identified in both the NSTC and National Academy’s reports to increase the understanding of hurricanes and their effects 

on infrastructure and the population, and improve the Nation’s 

overall hurricane preparedness. 

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS

S. 692 would increase the understanding of and preparation for 

hurricanes by creating the National Hurricane Research Initiative. 

This Initiative would conduct research on hurricane prediction, infrastructure development, mitigation techniques, and communication as well as provide for training for the next generation of hurricane researchers and forecasters. 

NOAA, working with the National Science Foundation (NSF), 

would establish a five-year implementation plan and subsequent 

research goals for the Initiative. NSF and NOAA would help to fulfill these objectives through merit-based research grant awards and 

training opportunities for future generations of hurricane researchers. 

Every two years the Initiative would be required to submit to 

Congress, along with the President’s budget request, a cross-cut 

budget and biennial report. NOAA and NSF would ensure public 

access to the work of the Initiative with workshops, conferences, 

and a public domain web site. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Senator Bill Nelson introduced S. 692, the National Hurricane 

Research Initiative Act of 2011, on March 30, 2011. The bill was 

referred to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

Committee. A companion bill, H.R. 2258, was introduced by RepVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:28 Jan 04, 2013 Jkt 029010 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\SR266.XXX SR266

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resentative Alcee L. Hastings and eight cosponsors in the House on 

June 21, 2011. 

The Committee held a hearing on May 3, 2011 entitled ‘‘America’s Natural Disaster Preparedness: Are Federal Investments Paying Off?’’ to examine the Nation’s state of preparedness for natural 

disasters and how investments in programs such as the National 

Hurricane Research Initiative proposed by S. 692 would save lives 

and reduce reconstruction costs after future disasters. The witnesses were Dr. William Hooke, Senior Policy Fellow and Director, 

American Meteorological Society; Mr. Bob Ryan, Senior Meteorologist, ABC7/WJLA–TV; Dr. Anne Kiremidjian, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, 

on behalf of the American Society of Civil Engineers; and Dr. Clint 

Dawson P.E., Professor, Institute for Computational Engineering 

and Sciences, University of Texas at Austin. On May 5, 2011, the 

Commerce Committee met in open Executive Session and in a voice 

vote ordered that S. 692 be reported favorably with an amendment 

in the nature of a substitute. 

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: 

S. 692—National Hurricane Research Initiative Act of 2011 

Summary: S. 692 would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a program to conduct research related to 

hurricanes. The bill also would require NOAA to create a Web site 

to make information about hurricane research available to the public. Finally, the bill would direct NOAA and NSF to carry out a series of national workshops and conferences to facilitate hurricane 

research. 

Based on information from the affected agencies and assuming 

appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost $375 million over the 2013–2017 

period. Enacting S. 692 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

S. 692 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 of S. 692 is shown in the following table. The costs 

of this legislation fall within budget functions 250 (general science, 

space, and technology) and 300 (natural resources and environment). 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2013– 

2017 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Estimated Authorization Level ...................................................... 100 100 100 100 100 500 

Estimated Outlays ........................................................................ 29 67 87 94 98 375 


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Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that S. 692 

will be enacted early in fiscal year 2013 and that the necessary 

amounts will be appropriated for each fiscal year. Estimated outlays are based on historical spending patterns for similar NOAA 

and NSF programs. 

S. 692 would require NOAA and NSF to develop a national hurricane initiative that would fund research projects to improve hurricane forecasting and tracking, enhance storm surge models, and assess the impacts of hurricanes on physical infrastructure and people. Those agencies spent less than $50 million annually on activities related to hurricane research in recent years. The bill also 

would require those agencies to develop a website to make hurricane research conducted under the program available to the public. 

Finally, the legislation would direct NOAA and NSF to conduct a 

series of national workshops to facilitate hurricane research. Based 

on information provided by the affected agencies and the National 

Science Board, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation 

would cost $375 million over the 2013–2017 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. Most of those funds would be 

used to develop better hurricane observation equipment, improved 

modeling of hurricane behavior, and research on making buildings 

more resilient to hurricane damage. 

Pay-As-You-Go considerations: None. 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 692 contains no 

intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA 

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

Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Jeff LaFave; Impact on 

state, local, and tribal governments: Melissa Merrell; Impact on the 

private sector: Amy Petz. 

Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, 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: 

NUMBER OF PERSONS COVERED

The reported bill would not subject any individuals or businesses 

affected by the bill to any additional regulations. 

ECONOMIC IMPACT

S. 692 is not expected to have an adverse impact on the Nation’s 

economy. Should the research authorized by this bill yield advances 

in hurricane prediction, mitigation, and/or infrastructure protection 

that are then deployed by Federal, State, or local governments, it 

is anticipated that these advances will result in cost savings to the 

public in the event of future hurricanes. 

PRIVACY

The bill would have little, if any, impact on the personal privacy 

of individuals. 


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PAPERWORK

The reported bill would not increase paperwork requirements for 

private individuals or businesses. For the Federal Government, the 

bill would require an implementation plan along with biennial reports. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

In compliance with paragraph 4(b) of rule XLIV of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides that no provisions 

contained in the bill, as reported, meet the definition of congressionally directed spending items under the rule. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short Title. 

This section would provide the title for the Act as the ‘‘National 

Hurricane Research Initiative Act of 2011.’’ 

Section 2. Definitions. 

This section would define the terms Eligible Entities, Indian 

Tribe, Initiative, State, Tribal Government, and Under Secretary. 

Section 3. National Hurricane Research Initiative. 

This section would direct the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere (the Under Secretary) to establish the National Hurricane Research Initiative (the Initiative). The purpose of the Initiative would be to conduct research to improve: (1) the understanding 

and prediction of hurricanes and other tropical storms; (2) the development of storm resilient infrastructure; (3) mitigation of the 

impacts on coastal populations, structures, and natural resources; 

and (4) communication with the public concerning hurricane forecasts and risks. The Initiative would also provide training for future hurricane researchers and forecasters. 

Section 4. National Hurricane Research. 

This section would direct NSF, in coordination with NOAA, to establish a competitive grant program through its merit review process to carry out the research described in section 3. NOAA would 

also carry out a research program to address the research objectives in section 3, which may include intramural research, grant 

awards, contracting with research entities, or cooperative agreements for research. It would also require interagency research collaboration and information sharing to the maximum extent practicable. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

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

would make no change to existing law. 

Æ 


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