§9707 — Title 15 Commerce and Trade | U.S. Code

Summary

NOAA must create and run a Precipitation Frequency Atlas for the United States. The atlas will gather, estimate, study, and share how often rain and heavy storms occur. It will show where and when heavy precipitation happens, look at seasonal patterns, and track trends in the yearly maximum rainfall. The atlas can be the federal government’s official source for these precipitation estimates. NOAA must include whatever estimates it finds appropriate and update them at least once every 10 years, or more often if needed. The work must follow a scientific process and be posted on NOAA’s public website. NOAA may work with other federal, state, local, Tribal, territorial, university, or private groups. Up to $3,500,000 is authorized each year for fiscal years 2022 through 2030. Definitions: Freely Associated States — Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. United States — the 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States.

Title 15, §9707

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In this section:

(1)The term “Freely Associated States” means the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia, which have each entered into a Compact of Free Association with the United States.

(2)The term “United States” means the 50 States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States.

(b)The Administrator shall establish a program, to be known as the “NOAA Precipitation Frequency Atlas of the United States”, to compile, estimate, analyze, and communicate the frequency of precipitation in the United States.

(c)The NOAA Precipitation Frequency Atlas of the United States—

(1)shall better inform the public and provide information on—

(A)temporal and spatial distribution of heavy precipitation;

(B)analyses of seasonality in precipitation; and

(C)trends in annual maximum series data; and

(2)may serve as the official source of the Federal Government on estimates of precipitation frequency and associated information with respect to the United States.

(d)(1)The NOAA Precipitation Frequency Atlas of the United States shall include such estimates of the frequency of precipitation in the United States as the Administrator determines appropriate.

(2)Such estimates—

(A)shall be conducted not less frequently than once every 10 years; and

(B)may be conducted more frequently if determined appropriate by the Administrator.

(3)Such estimates and methodologies used to conduct such estimates shall be—

(A)subject to an appropriate, scientific process, as determined by the Administrator; and

(B)published on a publicly accessible website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(e)The Administrator may partner with other Federal agencies, members of the private sector, academic cooperative partnerships, or nongovernment associations to assist in carrying out the functions described in subsection (c).

(f)In carrying out this section, the Administrator may consult with relevant Federal, State, local, Tribal, and Territorial government agencies, research institutions, and the private sector, as the Administrator determines necessary.

(g)In carrying out this section, the Administrator may coordinate with other Federal agencies.

(h)There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, from amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this chapter, $3,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2030.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (h), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 117–316, Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4406, known as the Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 9701 of this title and Tables.

§9707 Estimates of precipitation frequency in the United States