Government Connection
G E O W O R L D / S E P T E M B E R 2 O O 9 10 Hurricane Research Bill Big on Modeling Leaders on Capitol Hill are weighing the need for a national hurricane research initiative that could lean heav-ily on geospatial and imagery products and services. A bill introduced by Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) seeks to improve understanding and prediction of hurricanes and other tropical storms through a broad initiative that would include storm tracking and prediction; fore-casting of storm formation, intensity, and wind and rain patterns; storm-surge modeling, inland flood modeling and coastal erosion; the interaction with and impacts of storms with the natural and built environment; and the impacts to and response of society to destructive storms, including the socio-economic impacts requir-ing emergency management, response and recovery. The initiative also would promote development of infra-structure that's resilient to the forces associated with hurricanes and other tropical storms, and it would miti-gate the impacts of hurricanes on coastal populations, the coastal built environment and natural resources. The issues highlighted by the proposed legislation already have been discussed in committee. A hearing in summer 2009 before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation allowed repre-sentatives from government, academia and industry to weigh in on the need for a hurricane-research initiative. Hearing witness Gordon L. Wells, program manager for the Center for Space Research at the University of Texas at Austin, threw his support behind the bill, espe-cially modeling-related provisions. Improvements to forecast modeling and simulation covered by the bill are particularly important, testified Wells. Wells highlighted two key points of the bill: authori-zation of a National Infrastructure Database (to char-acterize the physical, social and natural infrastructure of coastal regions), and the need to communicate modeling and forecast data to the public. Beyond the physical risks, it is equally important to know the character and geographic distribution of vul-nerable populations in the impact area, noted Wells, discussing the database's usefulness. First respond-ers need to know more than simply where the worst physical impacts are predicted to occur. They need to know who will be affected and where they live. He testified that greater emphasis also must be placed on communicating the results of forecast modeling and simulation in a way that will help the public understand personal risk. Advances in the visualization of model results, particularly in the production of photorealistic, 3-D portrayals of inundation and wind damage at the neighborhood level, offer new techniques to inform the public, added Wells. Studies should be con-ducted with a cross-section of coastal residents to determine what methods of communication are most effective in leading citizens to make accurate judg-ments of their level of personal risk and then take effective measures to ensure their own safety. Other witnesses at the hearing chimed in with support for enhancing efforts related to hurricane research. Action is needed to undertake an aggressive effort to improve our national hurricane forecasting capabil-ity, testified Richard W. Spinrad, assistant adminis-trator for oceanic and atmospheric research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This effort will require the leadership of federal government, and collaborative efforts with our partners in state and local governments, and the research and academic communities. To support this need, NOAA is working with a wide variety of partners to improve observations, modeling and computing capabilities, and advance our hurricane forecasts. GOV ERNMENT CONNECTION An image shows simulated maximum surge elevations for a Category-3 hurricane making landfall in the Pamlico Sound basin of North Carolina. A bill for hurricane research emphasizes modeling and mapping efforts to monitor and respond to tropical storms. NOAA