Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Randy Feenstra (IA-04)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, two bills led by U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) were included in a larger weather package – the Weather Act Reauthorization Act – which passed the U.S. House of Representatives.
The two pieces of legislation are the National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act and the Weather Innovation for the Next Generation (WING) Act.
“The powerful tornadoes that struck parts of Southwest Iowa last week were tragic. As our community has come together to take care of our neighbors, it is vital that the National Weather Service has the capability to use every tool available to keep our families and communities safe from severe weather. When it comes to dangerous storms, every second matters and can be the difference between life and death,” said Rep. Feenstra. “My bills – which passed the U.S. House of Representatives – help ensure that our weather radar can better detect inclement weather, especially low-hanging tornadoes, and modernize the National Weather Service’s outdated communications network to disseminate time-sensitive information more quickly. These reforms will save lives, keep Iowans informed, and deliver accurate and timely updates during storms.”
The National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act would modernize the National Weather Service’s (NWS) outdated communications network – NWS Chat – which disseminates critical, time-sensitive information to broadcasters, emergency managers, and the general public during severe weather events. As part of its Integrated Dissemination Program update, NWS has identified several systematic upgrades critical to its emergency communications operation, including the need to replace NWS Chat.
Inspired by a 2019 U.S. Air Force report to Congress on the impact of wind farms on weather radar accuracy, the WING Act requires the National Weather Service to coordinate with the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and establish an R&D program to improve weather radar detection and prediction capabilities when physical structures like wind turbines obstruct radar line of sight.
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