WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Scott Franklin (FL-18) and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) led 11 of their Florida colleagues in a bipartisan letter urging Congress to include funds to modernize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) hurricane hunter aircraft fleet in any upcoming emergency disaster relief supplemental package.
“NOAA’s hurricane hunter fleet is critical to delivering real-time data to improve the accuracy of forecasts and inform emergency management efforts,” said Congressman Franklin. “During Hurricane Milton, I joined the crew of NOAA 42 and saw firsthand the importance of this life-saving weather tracking technology. Congress must fund the modernization of NOAA’s aging planes to help protect our communities.”
“With increasingly severe hurricane seasons, communities across the nation are relying more than ever on NOAA’s life-saving storm tracking and forecasting capabilities,” said Wasserman Schultz. “By investing in new hurricane hunter aircraft now, we ensure that NOAA can continue to protect lives, property, and entire communities from the growing threats of extreme weather.”
The funding, as outlined in the Administration’s supplemental request, would enable NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) to complete construction of two new hurricane hunter planes already in progress and acquire a third. This modernization effort is vital to maintaining the nation’s hurricane and extreme weather forecasting capabilities.
NOAA’s current WP-3D Orion planes are set to retire in 2030 after decades of service. Without timely replacements, NOAA’s ability to collect real-time data and improve extreme weather forecasts will be at serious risk.
The lawmakers emphasized the modernization effort is essential not only for hurricane readiness, but also to inform water resource planning and improve fire weather and drought predictions. Recent hurricanes, including Helene and Milton, underscore the necessity of bolstering NOAA’s capabilities to address escalating weather threats.
Read the full letter here.
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