TORNADO Act: Improving Weather Forecasts and Alerts for Public Safety.
This law aims to significantly improve how the government warns citizens about hazardous weather events like tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods. It establishes clearer communication standards and invests in advanced forecasting technology to give people more time to react and protect their lives and property. These changes are designed to directly enhance public safety during extreme weather.
Key points
Creation of a communication office to simplify and standardize confusing weather alert terminology, making warnings easier to understand and prompting immediate action.
Major investment in next-generation forecasting technology (Warn-on-Forecast) and social science research to make alerts faster, more accurate, and more effective in prompting public response, authorizing $11 million annually for the VORTEX-USA program.
Mandate to evaluate and potentially update the system used to rate tornado severity and conduct detailed post-storm surveys, including community impact studies and survivability statistics.
Requirement for an audit of the National Weather Service's IT infrastructure to eliminate delays in public alert dissemination and ensure fail-safe systems are in place.
Expired
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