For several years, California has been hit with atmospheric river storms that have led to widespread flooding and destruction.
Atmospheric rivers, also described as “rivers in the sky,” cause more than 80 percent of all flooding damage across the West Coast, and climate change will increase the likelihood of catastrophe by 2090, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
As a result, Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced the Improving Atmospheric River Forecasts Act. The bipartisan legislation requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish a forecast improvement program within the National Weather Service.
“California has led the way in improving our understanding of these storms, and this bipartisan bill will strengthen forecast to reduce flood risks while bolstering our water supply and drought resilience,” said Padilla.
The weather phenomenon has become much more common as a changing global climate continues to upend existing weather patterns. Rising surface temperatures lead to more moisture in the air, making atmospheric rivers more frequent and more severe.
“The introduction of this act is critically important to advance forecasts of atmospheric rivers to enable more flexible and resilient water management, improved warning around flooding and overall improvements to public safety,” said Marty Ralph, founding director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
“It will also enhance the opportunities for reservoir operators to safely implement Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations at more reservoirs to save additional water after a storm for the dry summer, or release it to mitigate flood risk if an AR storm is predicted in the next few days.”
The Improving Atmospheric River Forecasts Act would direct NOAA to establish a standalone atmospheric river forecast improvement program that would:
Develop accurate, effective, and actionable storm forecasts and warnings in collaboration with public and private partners across the weather forecasting sectors; Evaluate innovative observation tools and emerging technologies to improve atmospheric river analysis, modeling, forecasts, and warnings; Authorize NOAA to procure equipment, aircraft, and personnel contracts to fully monitor atmospheric river events each winter; and Improve atmospheric river hazard communication.The threats posed by atmospheric river conditions extend into subarctic and arctic regions. While there are several atmospheric river observatories in the Lower 48, none are in Alaska, Murkowski said.
“With greater frequency, we are seeing that atmospheric rivers instill dangerous climate conditions that pose deadly threats to Alaska communities,” she said in a statement.
“This bill ensures that all states along the West Coast, including Alaska, have at least one atmospheric river observatory.
“Along with improved modeling, data collection, and risk communication, this legislation will help protect our communities and ultimately save lives across Alaska.”
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