Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73

§9705 Improving National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration communication of future flood risks and hazardous flash flood events

Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 121— - FLOOD LEVEL OBSERVATION, OPERATIONS, AND DECISION SUPPORT › § 9705

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

NOAA's Administrator must, no later than 2 years after December 27, 2022, review how National Weather Service flash flood watches and warnings work and how flood information is given to help people prepare and respond. The Administrator must send a report to Congress with the results. The review must check if warnings clearly tell the public about risk, help people act to protect life and property, support flood response and preparation, and give information in ways that lead to the right actions. The review must look at better ways to explain flash flood risk, how to give usable local map or location details (including working with emergency responders), and how information is delivered. NOAA must talk with university experts (including social and behavioral scientists), other weather services, media outlets, floodplain managers, emergency planners and responders (State, local, and Tribal), federal users like the Federal Highway Administration, and other federal agencies. NOAA may ask the National Academy of Sciences to review the work and must use methods accepted by the weather community, including social and behavioral science. After the review, NOAA must improve watches and warnings to communicate risk better and give actionable geographic detail. Any big changes must be tested with social and behavioral science on a broadly representative sample, consider different groups and regions, meet the needs of government and media partners, and account for needed changes to how warnings are sent out. Definitions: "watch" and "warning" are public alerts from NOAA meant to warn people about flash floods and prompt action (they do not include technical forecast models). "Weather enterprise" is defined in section 8501.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §9705

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Not later than 2 years after December 27, 2022, the Administrator shall—

(A)conduct an assessment of—

(i)the flash flood watches and warnings of the National Weather Service; and

(ii)the information delivery to support preparation and responses to floods; and

(B)submit to Congress a report on the findings of the Administrator with respect to the assessment required by subparagraph (A).

(2)The assessment required by paragraph (1)(A) shall include the following:

(A)An evaluation of whether the watches, warnings, and information described in paragraph (1)(A) effectively—

(i)communicate risk to the general public;

(ii)inform action to prevent loss of life and property;

(iii)inform action to support flood preparation and response; and

(iv)deliver information in a manner designed to lead to appropriate action.

(B)Subject to subsection (b)(2), such recommendations as the Administrator may have for—

(i)legislative and administrative action to improve the watches and warnings described in paragraph (1)(A)(i); and

(ii)such research as the Administrator considers necessary to address the focus areas described in paragraph (3).

(3)The assessment required by paragraph (1)(A) shall focus on the following areas:

(A)Ways to communicate the risks posed by hazardous flash flood events to the public that are most likely to result in informed decision making regarding the mitigation of those risks.

(B)Ways to provide actionable geographic information to the recipient of a watch or warning for a flash flood, including partnering with emergency response agencies, as appropriate.

(C)Evaluation of information delivery to support the preparation for and response to floods.

(4)In conducting the assessment required by paragraph (1)(A), the Administrator shall consult with—

(A)individuals in the academic sector, including individuals in the field of social and behavioral sciences;

(B)other weather services;

(C)media outlets and other entities that distribute the watches and warnings described in paragraph (1)(A)(i);

(D)floodplain managers and emergency planners and responders, including State, local, and Tribal emergency management agencies;

(E)other government users of the watches and warnings described in paragraph (1)(A)(i), including the Federal Highway Administration; and

(F)such other Federal agencies as the Administrator determines rely on watches and warnings regarding flash floods for operational decisions.

(5)The Administrator shall engage with the National Academy of Sciences, as the Administrator considers necessary and practicable, including by contracting with the National Research Council to review the scientific and technical soundness of the assessment required by paragraph (1)(A), including the recommendations under paragraph (2)(B).

(6)In conducting the assessment required by paragraph (1)(A), the Administrator shall use such methodologies as the Administrator considers are generally accepted by the weather enterprise, including social and behavioral sciences.

(b)(1)Based on the assessment required by subsection (a)(1)(A), the Administrator shall make such improvements to the watches and warnings described in that subsection as the Administrator considers necessary—

(A)to improve the communication of the risks posed by hazardous flash flood events; and

(B)to provide actionable geographic information to the recipient of a watch or warning for a flash flood.

(2)In conducting the assessment required by subsection (a)(1)(A), the Administrator shall ensure that any recommendation under subsection (a)(2)(B) that the Administrator considers a major change—

(A)is validated by social and behavioral science using a generalizable sample;

(B)accounts for the needs of various demographics, vulnerable populations, and geographic regions;

(C)responds to the needs of Federal, State, local, and Tribal government partners and media partners; and

(D)accounts for necessary changes to federally operated watch and warning propagation and dissemination infrastructure and protocols.

(c)In this section:

(1)(A)Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the terms “watch” and “warning”, with respect to a hazardous flash flood event, mean products issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, intended for use by the general public—

(i)to alert the general public to the potential for or presence of the event; and

(ii)to inform action to prevent loss of life and property.

(B)The terms “watch” and “warning” do not include technical or specialized meteorological and hydrological forecasts, outlooks, or model guidance products.

(2)The term “weather enterprise” has the meaning given that term in section 8501 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 9705

Title 15 — Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73