Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Room 2226 Rayburn – 12:00 PM

Room 325 Russell – 3:00 PM

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.

Hosts

Representatives Alcee Hastings (Florida, 3rd District) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Florida, 18th District)

Senator Bill Nelson (Florida)

Speakers

Max Mayfield, WPLG-TV Hurricane Specialist, and former Director of the National Hurricane Center

Shuyi Chen, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami

Judith Curry, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology

Craig Fugate, Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management

Greg Holland (moderator), Director of the Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research

Sponsors

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
National Weather Center
The Weather Coalition
Congressional Hazards Caucus Alliance