S. 3919 — Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program Enhancement Act

This section revises the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program (previously a project) to require the NOAA Administrator, in collaboration with the U.S. weather industry and academic partners, to maintain a program improving hurricane forecasting, predictions, and warnings to reduce loss of life or property (previously loss of life, injury, and economic damage). The revised goal focuses on (1) improving understanding, prediction, and communication of rapid intensity changes and paths, including probabilistic hazard mapping (previously rapid intensification and track); (2) forecasting and impact-based communication of inland flooding, compound flooding, and storm surges (previously storm surge forecast and communication); (3) incorporating social, behavioral, risk, communication, and economic sciences (previously risk communication research); and (4) innovative observations such as acoustic measurements, novel sensors, uncrewed systems, and hosted instruments (previously acoustic or infrasonic measurements). The section directs NOAA to (1) award grants for research implementing the 2019 NOAA Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program report, improving social/behavioral/economic sciences in coordination with the National Science and Technology Council, and advancing physical sciences, modeling, and tools for hurricane formation, impacts, and tornado interactions (replacing prior project plan requirement); (2) under a new warnings subsection, conduct and operationally transition probabilistic forecast guidance research, incorporate social/behavioral/economic sciences into modeling, and expand computational resources including cloud computing; and (3) submit annual reports to relevant congressional committees through 2029 (previously none) on missed operational requirements, untasked forecaster requests, workforce shortfalls for data collection, and hurricane technology research, prototypes, and transition plans.