Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025

(a) In general. The Under Secretary, in collaboration with the Integrated Ocean Observing System, the United States weather industry, and academic partners, shall establish a coastal flooding and storm surge forecast improvement program (in this section referred to as the program).

(b) Goal. The goal of the program shall be to reduce through the development and extension of accurate, effective, actionable, and probable forecasts and warnings the loss of life or property from coastal flooding, including high tide flooding, and storm surge events.

(c) Priority. In implementing the program, the Under Secretary shall prioritize activities that carry out the following:

(1) Improving understanding and capacity for real-time operational prediction of the ocean’s role in coastal flooding, including high tide flooding, and storm surge events.

(2) Improving the capacity to mitigate or prevent the impacts of coastal flooding, including high tide flooding, and storm surge events, including by improving the understanding and capacity of coastal communities to perceive, comprehend, and respond to forecast information.

(3) Incorporating data from in situ distributed sensors into models.

(4) Developing probabilistic coastal flooding, including high tide flooding, and storm surge estimates to complement worst-case scenario estimates, including for use in long-term planning and risk management by States, Tribal governments, localities, and emergency managers in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as appropriate.

(5) Establishing skill metrics for coastal inundation forecasting that quantify the benefits of dynamical modeling, data assimilation, and machine learning improvements in the probabilistic forecast of coastal flooding, including high tide flooding, and storm surge risk and impacts.

(6) Improving operational regional storm surge and wave prediction models to enhance probabilistic guidance and messaging.

(d) Innovative observations and modeling. The Under Secretary shall ensure the program periodically examines, tests, and evaluates the value of incorporating enhanced model physics, hybrid dynamical or machine learning based prediction systems, and innovative observations, such as novel sensor technologies, observation networks, crewed or uncrewed systems, and hosted instruments on commercial aircrafts, vessels, and satellites, with respect to the improvement of coastal flooding, including high tide flooding, and storm surge forecasts, predictions, and warnings.

(e) Program plan. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall develop a plan that details the specific research, development, data acquisition, and technology transfer activities, as well as corresponding resources and timelines, necessary to achieve the goal of the program under subsection (b).

(f) Annual budget for plan submittal. After the development of the plan pursuant to subsection (e), the Under Secretary shall, not less frequently than annually, submit to Congress a proposed budget corresponding with the activities identified in such plan.