AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Thursday, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the Tornado Observation Research Notification and Deployment to Operations (TORNADO) Act. The legislation aims to improve the forecasting and understanding of tornadoes and other hazardous weather.
According to U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), the legislation would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to implement new technology and procedures that could help increase the lead times provided to the public in advance of extreme weather events.
Boozman said among other provisions, the TORNADO Act would:
- Require NOAA to prepare and submit an action plan for the national implementation of high-resolution probabilistic guidance for tornado forecasting and prediction;
- Encourage NOAA to evaluate the current tornado rating system and make updates;
- Direct NOAA to coordinate with appropriate entities when conducting post-storm assessments to optimize data collection, sharing and integration.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) was listed among the current cosponsors of the legislation.
