A National Hurricane Research Initiative: Meeting Society's Needs

Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Room 2226 Rayburn
12:00 PM
Box lunches will be served

Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Room 325 Russell
3:00 PM
Ice cream will be served

Legislation before both the House and Senate would implement the recommendations of the January 2007 National Science Board (NSB) report Hurricane Warning by creating a National Hurricane Research Initiative. A panel of experts will discuss recent advances and future priorities for hurricane research, and benefits for real-world needs including improved operational forecasts, warnings and emergency response.

Hurricanes are the most destructive and disruptive storms on Earth and, as Katrina showed in 2005, can overwhelm communities and public institutions. Major hurricane impacts are not confined to coastal communities -- heavy rainfall and flooding often result in severe impacts well inland, and damage to major coastal facilities (such as the New Orleans oil refineries) can have national implications. It is clearly in the nation's interest to undertake research and development of tools to improve hurricane forecasts, anticipate likely impacts and reduce vulnerabilities, and to improve warnings and emergency response.