IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 488
Commending the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its 
employees for its dedication and hard work during Hurricanes Charley 
and Frances. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 9, 2004
Mr. EHLERS (for himself, Mr. YOUNG of Florida, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. GOR-
DON, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. SHAW, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. LINCOLN 
DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. KELLER, Mr. BOYD, Ms. HARRIS, Ms. 
ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. PUTNAM, Mr. FEENEY, Mr. 
WEXLER, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Flor-
ida, Mr. GOSS, Mr. WELDON of Florida, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. DEUTSCH, 
and Mr. DAVIS of Florida) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Science 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Commending the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
istration and its employees for its dedication and hard 
work during Hurricanes Charley and Frances.
Whereas the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion’s National Weather Service consistently provides 
critical forecasts and warnings about severe weather to 
the Nation’s citizens; 
Whereas 2 hurricanes, Charley and Frances, recently hit the 
State of Florida back-to-back, an event which has not oc-
curred since 1964;
•HCON 488 IH 
Whereas the employees of the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration Tropical Prediction Center/Na-
tional Hurricane Center and the employees of key South-
ern Region Weather Forecast Offices worked tirelessly 
and under great pressure to provide the most up to date 
information to the public, the media, and emergency 
management officials during Hurricanes Charley and 
Frances; 
Whereas the employees of the National Hurricane Center 
conducted 496 live television interviews as well as 567 
telephone briefings to the media and others during Hurri-
cane Frances; 
Whereas the forecasts and information from the National 
Hurricane Center provided notice for the safe evacuation 
of more than 4,000,000 residents in the line of Hurri-
canes Charley and Frances and warnings to 14,600,000 
Floridians; 
Whereas the Hurricane Liaison Team, a joint National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration and Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency partnership, provided support 
to the 25 different media outlets operating out of the Na-
tional Hurricane Center, working 14-hour shifts over a 
total of 11 days during the 2 hurricanes; 
Whereas the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion’s Hydrometeorological Prediction Center provided 
rainfall forecasts and hurricane track guidance to the 
National Hurricane Center; 
Whereas the National Weather Service’s National Data Buoy 
Center, in partnership with the United States Coast 
Guard, worked expediently after Hurricane Charley to fix
•HCON 488 IH 
Whereas the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron of the 
403rd Wing of the Air Force Reserve Command at 
Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi, logged 304 
hours of flight time through and above the storms to as-
sist the National Hurricane Center in tracking Hurri-
canes Charley and Frances; 
Whereas the Southeast River Forecast Center provided crit-
ical river flooding forecast information to Federal, State, 
and private partners during Hurricanes Charley and 
Frances and during both accurately predicted the amount 
of excessive rainfall over Florida several days in advance; 
and 
Whereas it is still the first half of hurricane season and all 
these employees are now engaged tracking the next trop-
ical storm, Hurricane Ivan, which is fast approaching the 
United States coast: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That the Congress—
(1) commends the employees of the National 
Weather Service, especially the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration Tropical Prediction 
Center/National 
Hurricane 
Center, 
Hydrometeorological Prediction Center, and Na-
tional Data Buoy Center; the 53rd Weather Recon-
naissance Squadron of the 403rd Wing of the Air 
Force Reserve Command at Keesler Air Force Base, 
Biloxi, Mississippi; the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration Aircraft Operations Center at
•HCON 488 IH 
MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida; the Hurri-
cane Liaison Team; the National Ocean Service; and 
the National Environmental Satellite Data and In-
formation Service, for their extraordinary dedication 
and hard work during Hurricanes Charley and 
Frances; 
(2) commends the Southern and Eastern Re-
gion Weather Forecast Offices of San Juan, Miami, 
Tampa Bay, Key West, Melbourne, Jacksonville, 
Tallahassee, Atlanta, Birmingham, Huntsville, Mo-
bile, Morristown, Charleston, Morehead City, Wil-
mington, Wakefield, and Taunton for their extraor-
dinary dedication and hard work during Hurricanes 
Charley and Frances; 
(3) thanks the commercial and media mete-
orologists for their contributions in disseminating 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion forecasts and warnings to the public; and 
(4) expresses its support for the ongoing hard 
work and dedication of all who provide accurate and 
timely hurricane forecasts.
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