Sec. 4. Modification of tsunami forecasting and warning program
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Subsection
(a)of section 4 ( 33 U.S.C. 3203 ) is amended by striking Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico region and inserting Atlantic Ocean region, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico . Subsection
(b)of such section 4 is amended— in paragraph (1), by striking established and inserting supported or maintained ; in paragraph (4), by inserting and safeguarding port and harbor operations after communities ; in paragraph (7)— by inserting , including graphical warning products, after warnings ; by inserting , territories, after States ; and by inserting and Wireless Emergency Alerts after Hazards Program ; and in paragraph (8), by inserting and commercial and Federal undersea communications cables after observing technologies . Subsection
(c)of such section 4 is amended to read as follows: The program under this section shall operate a tsunami warning system that— is capable of forecasting tsunami, including forecasting tsunami arrival time and inundation estimates, anywhere in the Pacific and Arctic Ocean regions and providing adequate warnings; is capable of forecasting and providing adequate warnings in areas of the Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, that are determined— to be geologically active, or to have significant potential for geological activity; and to pose significant risks of tsunami for States along the coastal areas of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico; and supports other international tsunami forecasting and warning efforts. . Subsection
(d)of such section 4 is amended to read as follows: The Administrator shall support or maintain centers to support the tsunami warning system required by subsection (c). The Centers shall include— the National Tsunami Warning Center, located in Alaska, which is primarily responsible for Alaska and the continental United States; the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, located in Hawaii, which is primarily responsible for Hawaii, the Caribbean, and other areas of the Pacific not covered by the National Center; and any additional forecast and warning centers determined by the National Weather Service to be necessary. The responsibilities of the centers supported or maintained pursuant to paragraph
(1)shall include the following: Continuously monitoring data from seismological, deep ocean, coastal sea level, and tidal monitoring stations and other data sources as may be developed and deployed. Evaluating earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions that have the potential to generate tsunami. Evaluating deep ocean buoy data and tidal monitoring stations for indications of tsunami resulting from earthquakes and other sources. To the extent practicable, utilizing a range of models to predict tsunami arrival times and flooding estimates. Disseminating forecasts and tsunami warning bulletins to Federal, State, and local government officials and the public. Coordinating with the tsunami hazard mitigation program conducted under section 5 to ensure ongoing sharing of information between forecasters and emergency management officials. Making data gathered under this Act and post-warning analyses conducted by the National Weather Service or other relevant Administration offices available to researchers. The tsunami warning centers supported or maintained pursuant to paragraph
(1)shall maintain a fail-safe warning capability and ability to perform back-up duties for each other. The National Weather Service shall coordinate with the centers supported or maintained pursuant to paragraph
(1)to ensure that regional and local forecast offices— have the technical knowledge and capability to disseminate tsunami warnings for the communities they serve; and leverage connections with local emergency management officials for optimally disseminating tsunami warnings and forecasts. The Administrator shall— develop uniform operational procedures for the centers supported or maintained pursuant to paragraph (1), including the use of software applications, checklists, decision support tools, and tsunami warning products that have been standardized across the program supported under this section; ensure that processes and products of the warning system operated pursuant to subsection (c)— reflect industry best practices; conform to the maximum extent practicable with internationally recognized standards for information technology; and conform to the maximum extent practicable with other warning products and practices of the National Weather Service; ensure that future adjustments to operational protocols, processes, and warning products— are made consistently across the warning system operated pursuant to subsection (c); and are applied in a uniform manner across such warning system; and disseminate guidelines and metrics for evaluating and improving tsunami forecast models. The Administrator, through the National Weather Service, shall ensure that resources are available to fulfill the obligations of this Act. This includes ensuring supercomputing resources are available to run such computer models as are needed for purposes of the tsunami warning system operated pursuant to subsection (c). . Subsection
(e)of such section 4 is amended to read as follows: In carrying out this section, the Administrator shall— develop requirements for the equipment used to forecast tsunami, including— provisions for multipurpose detection platforms; reliability and performance metrics; and to the maximum extent practicable, requirements for the integration of equipment with other United States and global ocean and coastal observation systems, the global Earth observing system of systems, the global seismic networks, and the Advanced National Seismic System; develop and execute a plan for the transfer of technology from ongoing research conducted as part of the program supported or maintained under section 6 into the program under this section; and ensure that the Administration’s operational tsunami detection equipment is properly maintained. . Subsection
(f)of such section 4 is amended to read as follows: When deploying and maintaining tsunami detection technologies under the program under this section, the Administrator shall— identify which assets of other Federal agencies are necessary to support such program; and work with each agency identified under paragraph (1)— to acquire the agency’s assistance; and to prioritize the necessary assets. . Such section 4 is further amended by striking subsections
(g)through (k).
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Sec. 4
Modification of tsunami forecasting and warning program
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