Last week, at the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s hearing on Winning in Weather: U.S. Competitiveness in Forecasting and Modeling, Chairman Frank Lucas submitted remarks stressing the importance of having accurate and reliable weather data.
Specifically, Chairman Lucas discussed how the recent wildfire shed light on the importance of weather forecasting:
“This hearing couldn’t come at a more crucial time. Last week, the Smokehouse Creek fire burned over 1 million acres in Western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle.
This personal experience very much relates to today’s hearing. I looked at the Oklahoma Mesonet to see the most up to date conditions in my area. I closely monitored the National Weather Service’s fire weather outlooks for the coming days, so I knew what to expect. And I made critical decisions based on the weather data, models, and forecasts that were available to me.
It’s been seven years since the passage of the Weather Act of 2017. The tools and data I used last week are more accurate and readily available than they were before that bill. But I believe there is more we can do for the U.S. weather enterprise to be at the forefront of forecasting and modeling.
The Weather Act Reauthorization of 2023 and H.R. 4866, the Fire Weather Development Act of 2023, are both bills that passed with bipartisan support out of this Committee. Both bills will further improve the weather data, models, and forecasts to meet the unique needs of our country and protect lives and property.”
Read his full remarks here.
