[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 145 (Monday, September 26, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H5870]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           SMALL-SCALE WEATHER RADARS IMPROVE STORM DETECTION

  (Mr. McNERNEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the scientists at 
the University of Massachusetts Amherst on their development of small-
scale weather radars to improve storm detection. With funding from the 
National Science Foundation, these researchers developed neighborhood 
weather radars that have the ability to sense hazards on a street-by-
street scale.
  These devices automatically adapt scans to focus on the most powerful 
parts of a storm. This innovative system will save money and lives as 
it alerts citizens and emergency personnel of impending danger before 
storms arrive.
  The researchers developed algorithms that pinpoint the exact location 
and velocity profile of a tornado by converting the information in the 
time series data on successive radar pulses into velocity data. The 
real-time information produced by this system will give researchers 
clues about weather patterns that will make weather detection even more 
sophisticated and accurate.
  This and other lifesaving technologies should be the priority of 
Congress and the continued work of scientists through the National 
Science Foundation.

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