FY 2016 Budget Request: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

“To strengthen the new department’s focus on business and economic growth, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would be consolidated into the Department of Interior, strengthening stewardship and conservation efforts and enhancing scientific resources. The Budget schedules for these agencies and programs continue to reflect them in their current alignment.”

“Impacts from severe storms in the United States cost billions of dollars and claim thousands of lives per year. Becoming a Weather-Ready Nation means not just providing timely, accurate, and reliable weather forecasts, but it also means communicating that information in a way that compels people to act to protect themselves and their interests. The FY 2016 budget will continue efforts already underway to evolve the National Weather Service. Major activities in FY 2016 include overhauling the aging Next Generation Weather Radar infrastructure that underpins our weather forecast and warning services for high-impact events, such as tornadoes. In addition, this request builds on the FY 2015 initiative to improve national hydrologic modeling and forecast capabilities at the National Water Center, which are essential to providing communities improved flood forecasts and inundation mapping. The FY 2016 budget also includes an initiative to improve weather outlooks out to weeks three and four -- a time period which is currently poorly forecasted and for which many economic sectors are demanding better insight into probable climate and economic conditions.”