§ 9704. Service coordination hydrologists at River Forecast Centers of the National Weather Service

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(a)Designation of service coordination hydrologists

(1)In general The Director of the National Weather Service (in this section referred to as the “Director”) shall designate at least 1 service coordination hydrologist at each River Forecast Center of the National Weather Service.

(2)Performance by other employees Performance of the responsibilities outlined in this section is not limited to the service coordination hydrologist position.

(b)Primary role of service coordination hydrologists The primary role of the service coordination hydrologist shall be to carry out the responsibilities required by this section.

(c)Responsibilities

(1)In general Subject to paragraph (2), consistent with the analysis described in section 409 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–25; 131 Stat. 112), and in order to increase impact-based decision support services, each service coordination hydrologist designated under subsection

(a)shall, with respect to hydrology—

(A)be responsible for providing service to the geographic area of responsibility covered by the River Forecast Center at which the service coordination hydrologist is employed to help ensure that users of products and services of the National Weather Service can respond effectively to improve outcomes from flood events;

(B)liaise with users of products and services of the National Weather Service, such as the public, academia, media outlets, users in the hydropower, transportation, recreation, and agricultural communities, and forestry, land, fisheries, and water management interests, to evaluate the adequacy and usefulness of the products and services of the National Weather Service;

(C)collaborate with such River Forecast Centers and Weather Forecast Offices and Federal, State, local, and Tribal government agencies as the Director considers appropriate in developing, proposing, and implementing plans to develop, modify, or tailor products and services of the National Weather Service to improve the usefulness of such products and services;

(D)engage in interagency partnerships with Federal, State, local, and Tribal government agencies to explore the use of forecast-informed reservoir operations to reduce flood risk;

(E)ensure the maintenance and accuracy of flooding call lists, appropriate office flooding policy or procedures, and other flooding information or dissemination methodologies or strategies; and

(F)work closely with Federal, State, local, and Tribal emergency and floodplain management agencies, and other agencies relating to disaster management, to ensure a planned, coordinated, and effective preparedness and response effort.

(2)Other staff The Director may assign a responsibility set forth in paragraph

(1)to such other staff as the Director considers appropriate to carry out such responsibility.

(d)Additional responsibilities

(1)In general Subject to paragraph (2), a service coordination hydrologist designated under subsection

(a)may, with respect to hydrology—

(A)work with a State agency to develop plans for promoting more effective use of products and services of the National Weather Service throughout the State;

(B)identify priority community preparedness objectives;

(C)develop plans to meet the objectives identified under subparagraph (B); and

(D)conduct flooding event preparedness planning and citizen education efforts with and through various State, local, and Tribal government agencies and other disaster management-related organizations.

(2)Other staff The Director may assign a responsibility set forth in paragraph

(1)to such other staff as the Director considers appropriate to carry out such responsibility.

(Pub. L. 117–316, § 5, Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4408.)

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