[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9653]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    REINTRODUCTION OF THE HURRICANE RESEARCH INITIATIVE ACT OF 2011

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 21, 2011

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, June first marked the official 
start of the 2011 hurricane season. As we prepare for this upcoming 
season, I am proud to reintroduce the Hurricane Research Initiative Act 
of 2011.
  I cannot help but recall the devastation left in the wake of 
hurricanes that have hit my home State of Florida, such as Andrew, 
Ivan, Jeanne, and Katrina. These storms were some of the worst any of 
us had ever seen. We can all remember the haunting images of our 
coastal communities from Florida to Louisiana left in utter 
destruction. It is easy to picture the faces of those who were most 
affected, and to remember the stories told by survivors. Even today, 
the impact of these disasters are still being felt in many communities 
along the Gulf Coast region.
  The damage from these storms affects us all. Hurricane damage has 
cost our Nation an average of $35.8 billion in economic losses per year 
since 2001. Between 2002 and 2007, we experienced over $180 billion in 
losses due to hurricanes.
  As a nation, we have been caught off-guard by these storms. In the 
past, we were not ready for the destructive forces that came our way. 
We could not anticipate the extent to which these storms would change 
our coastal towns and cities. In short, we were unprepared.
  Looking back, it is easy to see why. In recent years, we have allowed 
hurricane research to lapse. It is a failure that must be addressed. 
Every year, we pay the price in environmental damage, fiscal 
devastation, and human lives.
  More research must be done on these storm systems. Therefore, I am 
proud to reintroduce the Hurricane Research Initiative Act of 2011, 
which authorizes critical hurricane research funding to help our 
scientists study and better understand how hurricanes form and 
intensify, research that will help us prepare for many hurricane 
seasons to come.
  The legislation also provides for enhancing early warning systems, 
infrastructure durability standards, and severe weather tracking and 
prediction capabilities. A National Infrastructure Database will be 
established under this legislation in order to develop standards and 
create public policy to better understand hurricanes and tropical 
storms.
  This version of the bill also restores funding to perform a necessary 
update to our Nation's Joint Polar Satellite System, funds that were 
cut in the Republican budget for Fiscal Year 2011. The Continuing 
Resolution eliminated the means to perform this necessary update. 
Satellites are designed with a limited lifespan. When the end of that 
lifespan is reached, our ability to track severe weather systems such 
as hurricanes and blizzards also ends. By restoring funding for the 
JPSS, this bill ensures the continuation of our ability to forecast and 
track severe weather systems before they happen.
  Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity to close the gap in hurricane 
research funding. Correcting this lack of scientific research is 
imperative and will help us to preserve our environment, protect our 
property, and save lives. I urge my colleagues to support this 
critically important legislation.

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