Satellite Technology and Spectrum Key to Better Weather Forecasting

[Commentary] Ten years ago, one of the deadliest hurricanes in history struck the Gulf Coast, decimating coastal cities and communities from Gulfport (MS) to New Orleans (LA). At the time, the National Weather Service (NWS), an agency of the US Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), accurately forecasted more than two days ahead of time that the central Gulf Coast would be directly impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

A decade later, we are better positioned to deal with these types of disasters. In recent years, NOAA has deployed new satellite technology that has dramatically improved the NWS’s forecasting ability, allowing meteorologists to issue more accurate forecasts, with more lead time, for a hurricane or another major weather event. Such information will allow local officials to better target evacuations to those areas most likely to be affected and avoid disruptions to unaffected areas. NOAA has also made significant investments in its supercomputing capacity to improve its hurricane forecasting capabilities.

[Dr Kathryn Sullivan is Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Lawrence E Strickling is Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator]