U.S. Weather Commission in the works

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Destructive weather events such as Hurricane Katrina and  Superstorm Sandy have a major impact on the US economy.

Meteorologists can help lessen the impacts of destructive weather events by better-predicting them. Looking towards that goal, the meteorology community is rallying to create the first-ever U.S. Weather Commission.

Meteorologists from all around the world met today to discuss creating the Commission at the American Meteorological Society conference , taking place this week in downtown Austin.

If Congress approves the proposal, the commission would advise the top level of government on where federal money is needed most to improve weather prediction in this country.

“Some of the equipment that we need is very expensive," John Snow of the American Meteorological Society said. "So who is going to make that investment, when is the investment going to be made?”

“We have concerns that in a world with changing climate we’re going to see more fires, we’re going to see more drought, we’re going to see more unusual hurricanes like Sandy reaching way north," Snow said. "All of those we need to be prepared for. And that means we need to understand and make the optimal investments.”

The Commission is just in its organizational stages right now, but Congress could vote on a Charter for the commission within the next two years.