Hazard communication research and engagement

(a) In general The Under Secretary may maintain, as appropriate, a program to— (1) modernize the development and communication of risk-based, statistically reliable, probabilistic hazard information, with the goal of informing appropriate responses to hazardous weather or water events; and (2) improve the fundamental social, behavioral, and economic science relating to communications, including by means of collecting voluntary data, regarding hazardous weather or water events. (b) Coordination In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall coordinate and communicate with States, Tribal governments, localities, and emergency managers regarding research priorities and results. (c) Pilot program for tornado hazard communications (1) In general The Under Secretary, in coordination with the VORTEX–USA program under section 103 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8513), as amended by section 103 of this Act, and in collaboration with 1 or more eligible institutions (or consortia thereof), shall establish a pilot program for tornado hazard communications to test incorporation of research into operations with respect to tornadoes. (2) Merit-based process Amounts under the pilot program under paragraph (1) shall be awarded to eligible institutions through a merit-based competitive process. (3) Eligible institution defined In this subsection, the term eligible institution means any of the following: (A) An institution that is frequently subjected to severe weather, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods. (B) An institution of higher education in close proximity to a Weather Forecast Office of the National Weather Service. (d) Pilot study for hurricane hazard communication (1) In general The Under Secretary, in coordination with the hurricane forecast improvement program under section 104 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8514), as amended by section 104 of this Act, and in collaboration with 1 or more eligible institutions (or consortia thereof), shall enter into an agreement with an appropriate entity, as determined by the Under Secretary, to conduct a pilot study using a mixed methods approach, including surveys, focus groups, and interviews, to gather information from hurricane-prone population areas regarding the levels of preparedness of such areas for hurricanes or in response to early forecasts and warnings of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2) Elements The pilot study required under paragraph (1) shall evaluate the following: (A) Possession of disaster supplies. (B) Evacuation decisions. (C) Levels of trust of tropical cyclone information and hurricane path prediction from various sources. (D) Access to tropical cyclone and hurricane forecasts and warnings in the first language of each individual interviewed as part of the pilot study. (E) Any reasoning or deliberation by the individuals interviewed as part of the pilot study that may hinder the ability or willingness of the individuals to evacuate. (3) Additional criteria The Under Secretary shall publish the methodology of the pilot study described in paragraph (1) on a publicly accessible website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (4) Eligible institution defined In this subsection, the term eligible institution means any of the following: (A) An institution of higher education, nonprofit organization, or other institution located in a jurisdiction eligible to participate in the program under section 113 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 1862g). (B) An institution of higher education, nonprofit organization, or other institution located in proximity to a Weather Forecast Office of the National Weather Service. (e) Hurricane social, behavioral, and economic sciences (1) In general The Under Secretary shall carry out research and development activities to improve how the public receives, interprets, responds to, and values hurricane forecasts and warnings. (2) Elements In conducting activities under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall— (A) conduct a comprehensive review of the manner by which the public receives, interprets, responds to, and makes decisions regarding hurricane forecasts and warnings, including— (i) how weather observations, downstream models, and processes affect the decision tools or products derived from hurricane forecasts and warnings; (ii) how hurricane forecasts and warnings generated by decision tools and products are used by emergency managers, governments, and other users to benefit the public and stakeholder groups; (iii) how past experiences with hurricanes impact the decision making of the general public; (iv) how the source of such hurricane forecasts and warnings affects interpretation; (v) how tropical cyclone forecasts and warnings are received and interpreted by the general public; (vi) how understanding of and response to hurricane forecasts and warnings varies across demographic groups, including the elderly and people with disabilities; (vii) the effect of language barriers on the accessibility of hurricane forecasts and warnings; and (viii) how understanding of and response to such hurricane forecasts and warnings varies across geographic areas, including rural, urban, and suburban areas; (B) identify communication data gaps based on the review conducted pursuant to subparagraph (A); (C) carry out research, including data collection and baseline assessments, in coordination with the hurricane forecast improvement program under section 104 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8514), as amended by section 104 of this Act, to evaluate and quantify the economic value of extending lead times of tropical cyclone and hurricane forecasts and warnings; (D) using the post-storm surveys and assessments conducted under section 406 of this Act to conduct retrospective or ex ante assessments of previous hurricane forecasts and warnings to better understand the key components of such forecasts and warnings that affected actions or initiated behavior changes; (E) conduct cost-benefit analyses of forecasts and warnings improvement alternatives developed through the hurricane forecast improvement program under section 104 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8514), as amended by section 104 of this Act; and (F) conduct assessments of the risk to the elderly for pre-, during, and post-storm periods in regions and communities with significant elderly populations, including retirement communities.

(a) In general The Under Secretary may maintain, as appropriate, a program to— (1) modernize the development and communication of risk-based, statistically reliable, probabilistic hazard information, with the goal of informing appropriate responses to hazardous weather or water events; and (2) improve the fundamental social, behavioral, and economic science relating to communications, including by means of collecting voluntary data, regarding hazardous weather or water events. (b) Coordination In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall coordinate and communicate with States, Tribal governments, localities, and emergency managers regarding research priorities and results. (c) Pilot program for tornado hazard communications (1) In general The Under Secretary, in coordination with the VORTEX–USA program under section 103 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8513), as amended by section 103 of this Act, and in collaboration with 1 or more eligible institutions (or consortia thereof), shall establish a pilot program for tornado hazard communications to test incorporation of research into operations with respect to tornadoes. (2) Merit-based process Amounts under the pilot program under paragraph (1) shall be awarded to eligible institutions through a merit-based competitive process. (3) Eligible institution defined In this subsection, the term eligible institution means any of the following: (A) An institution that is frequently subjected to severe weather, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods. (B) An institution of higher education in close proximity to a Weather Forecast Office of the National Weather Service. (d) Pilot study for hurricane hazard communication (1) In general The Under Secretary, in coordination with the hurricane forecast improvement program under section 104 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8514), as amended by section 104 of this Act, and in collaboration with 1 or more eligible institutions (or consortia thereof), shall enter into an agreement with an appropriate entity, as determined by the Under Secretary, to conduct a pilot study using a mixed methods approach, including surveys, focus groups, and interviews, to gather information from hurricane-prone population areas regarding the levels of preparedness of such areas for hurricanes or in response to early forecasts and warnings of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2) Elements The pilot study required under paragraph (1) shall evaluate the following: (A) Possession of disaster supplies. (B) Evacuation decisions. (C) Levels of trust of tropical cyclone information and hurricane path prediction from various sources. (D) Access to tropical cyclone and hurricane forecasts and warnings in the first language of each individual interviewed as part of the pilot study. (E) Any reasoning or deliberation by the individuals interviewed as part of the pilot study that may hinder the ability or willingness of the individuals to evacuate. (3) Additional criteria The Under Secretary shall publish the methodology of the pilot study described in paragraph (1) on a publicly accessible website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (4) Eligible institution defined In this subsection, the term eligible institution means any of the following: (A) An institution of higher education, nonprofit organization, or other institution located in a jurisdiction eligible to participate in the program under section 113 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 1862g). (B) An institution of higher education, nonprofit organization, or other institution located in proximity to a Weather Forecast Office of the National Weather Service. (e) Hurricane social, behavioral, and economic sciences (1) In general The Under Secretary shall carry out research and development activities to improve how the public receives, interprets, responds to, and values hurricane forecasts and warnings. (2) Elements In conducting activities under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall— (A) conduct a comprehensive review of the manner by which the public receives, interprets, responds to, and makes decisions regarding hurricane forecasts and warnings, including— (i) how weather observations, downstream models, and processes affect the decision tools or products derived from hurricane forecasts and warnings; (ii) how hurricane forecasts and warnings generated by decision tools and products are used by emergency managers, governments, and other users to benefit the public and stakeholder groups; (iii) how past experiences with hurricanes impact the decision making of the general public; (iv) how the source of such hurricane forecasts and warnings affects interpretation; (v) how tropical cyclone forecasts and warnings are received and interpreted by the general public; (vi) how understanding of and response to hurricane forecasts and warnings varies across demographic groups, including the elderly and people with disabilities; (vii) the effect of language barriers on the accessibility of hurricane forecasts and warnings; and (viii) how understanding of and response to such hurricane forecasts and warnings varies across geographic areas, including rural, urban, and suburban areas; (B) identify communication data gaps based on the review conducted pursuant to subparagraph (A); (C) carry out research, including data collection and baseline assessments, in coordination with the hurricane forecast improvement program under section 104 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8514), as amended by section 104 of this Act, to evaluate and quantify the economic value of extending lead times of tropical cyclone and hurricane forecasts and warnings; (D) using the post-storm surveys and assessments conducted under section 406 of this Act to conduct retrospective or ex ante assessments of previous hurricane forecasts and warnings to better understand the key components of such forecasts and warnings that affected actions or initiated behavior changes; (E) conduct cost-benefit analyses of forecasts and warnings improvement alternatives developed through the hurricane forecast improvement program under section 104 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8514), as amended by section 104 of this Act; and (F) conduct assessments of the risk to the elderly for pre-, during, and post-storm periods in regions and communities with significant elderly populations, including retirement communities.