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TORNADO Act
3/11/2024, 5:24 PM
Summary of Bill S 1284
The TORNADO Act also includes provisions for the development of a national tornado database to track tornado-related data and trends, as well as the creation of a public awareness campaign to educate the public on tornado safety and preparedness measures. Additionally, the bill calls for the establishment of a national tornado research program to improve forecasting and warning systems.
Overall, the TORNADO Act aims to better protect communities from the devastating impacts of tornadoes by providing resources and support for improved preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. It is currently being reviewed by Congress and has garnered bipartisan support for its efforts to enhance tornado resilience across the country.
Congressional Summary of S 1284
Tornado Observations Research and Notification Assessment for Development of Operations Act or the TORNADO Act
This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to evaluate and improve its communications about hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms, and other hazardous weather events.
Specifically, NOAA must establish a Risk Communication Office to evaluate the effectiveness of NOAA's communications and to identify ways to provide simpler and clearer information to the public about hazardous weather events. NOAA must also (1) establish a research program to modernize its communication systems, and (2) establish a pilot program to implement the research with respect to communications about tornadoes.
Additionally, the bill requires NOAA to develop a strategic plan for implementing the Warn-on-Forecast System, which aims to provide more advanced warnings of thunderstorm-related events (e.g., tornadoes). The bill also requires NOAA to evaluate its tornado rating system and to conduct post-storm assessments of significant events.
The bill also provides statutory authority for NOAA's Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (known as VORTEX-USA), a collaborative project between meteorologists and social scientists to study the conditions that contribute to dangerous tornadoes in the Southeast and the best ways to communicate these events to the public.
Finally, the Government Accountability Office must report on the National Weather Service's communication technology, particularly with respect to timely notices of hazardous weather events.
