IB
Union Calendar No. 295
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 2486
[Report No. 107–495]
To authorize the National Weather Service to conduct research and develop-
ment, training, and outreach activities relating to tropical cyclone inland
forecasting improvement, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 12, 2001
Mr. ETHERIDGE (for himself, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr.
BRADY of Texas, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. JONES of North Carolina, Mr.
PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr. MARKEY, Ms.
JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. LAN-
TOS, Mr. HOEFFEL, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr. CRAMER, and Mr. DIAZ-
BALART) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Science
JUNE 5, 2002
Additional sponsors: Mr. FROST, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. ORTIZ, Ms. HART, Mr.
WATT of North Carolina, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, and Mr. EHLERS
JUNE 5, 2002
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July 12, 2001]
A BILL
To authorize the National Weather Service to conduct re-
search and development, training, and outreach activities
relating to tropical cyclone inland forecasting improve-
ment, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Inland Flood Fore-
casting and Warning System Act of 2002’’.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion, through the United States Weather Research Program,
shall—
(1) improve the capability to accurately forecast
inland flooding (including inland flooding influenced
by coastal and ocean storms) through research and
modeling;
(2) develop, test, and deploy a new flood warn-
ing index that will give the public and emergency
management officials fuller, clearer, and more accu-
rate information about the risks and dangers posed by
expected floods;
(3) train emergency management officials, Na-
tional Weather Service personnel, meteorologists, and
others as appropriate regarding improved forecasting
techniques for inland flooding, risk management tech-
niques, and use of the inland flood warning index de-
veloped under paragraph (2); and
(4) conduct outreach and education activities for
local meteorologists and the public regarding the dan-
gers and risks associated with inland flooding and the
use and understanding of the inland flood warning
index developed under paragraph (2).
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for car-
rying out this Act $1,150,000 for each of the fiscal years
2003 through 2007. Of the amounts authorized under this
section, $250,000 for each fiscal year shall be available for
competitive merit-reviewed grants to institutions of higher
education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) to develop models that
can improve the ability to forecast the coastal and estuary-
inland flooding that is influenced by tropical cyclones. The
models should incorporate the interaction of such factors as
storm surges, soil saturation, and other relevant phe-
nomena.
SEC. 4. REPORT.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, and annually thereafter through fiscal year
2007, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion shall transmit to the Committee on Science of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on its
activities under this Act and the success and acceptance of
the inland flood warning index developed under section 2(2)
by the public and emergency management professionals.
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to authorize
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
through the United States Weather Research Program,
to conduct research and development, training, and out-
reach activities relating to inland flood forecasting im-
provement, and for other purposes.’’.