{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-bipartisan-bill-signed-into-law-to-better-predict-severe-weather-and-protect-michiganders", "Peters Bipartisan Bill Signed into Law to Better Predict Severe Weather and Protect Michiganders", "2022-12-28", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MI", "Gary C. Peters", "P000595", "www.peters.senate.gov", "garypeters", "https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 The President has signed into law U.S. Senator Gary Peters\u2019 (MI) bipartisan legislation to establish a National Integrated Flood Information System. The bill recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives and unanimously passed the U.S. Senate last year.\n\nThe Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support (FLOODS) Act \u2013 which Peters reintroduced with U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) \u2013 will provide funding to strengthen the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u2019s (NOAA) ability to forecast floods, hurricanes, and tornados and disperse relevant information to local officials and first responders. Peters is a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which oversees NOAA.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s important we have the resources to better prepare for severe weather like flooding, particularly as storms continue to worsen due to climate change,\u201d said Senator Peters. \u201cThat\u2019s why I was proud to help champion this bipartisan bill into law, which will strengthen NOAA\u2019s ability to predict severe weather and protect the lives and livelihoods of folks across our state.\u201d\n\n\u201cFlooding is a common and deadly natural disaster in the U.S., resulting in over $25 billion in annual economic losses,\u201d said Senator Wicker. \u201cEvents in my home state of Mississippi, such as the prolonged opening of the Bonnet Carr\u00e9 spillway and the Pearl River and Yazoo backwater floods, underscore the importance of an effective understanding and response to high water. This legislation will protect lives and property by directing NOAA to improve its flood monitoring, forecasting, and communication efforts.\u201d\n\n\u201cWith flash floods occurring more frequently in every corner of the nation, early and reliable detection and warning is critical to save life and property,\u201d said Cheryl Small, Executive Director, National Flood Association. \u201cWe believe the integration and partnerships \u2014 including with the private sector \u2014 that will be developed or improved through this legislation will result in a more prepared and resilient nation.\u201d\n\n\u201cInvesting in science and NOAA\u2019s prediction and communication capabilities will help keep communities \u2014 particularly vulnerable communities in coastal and inland floodplains\u2014safe,\u201d said Rachel Cleetus, Policy Director and Lead Economist, Union of Concerned Scientists Climate & Energy Program. \u201cThis timely legislation will improve the NOAA\u2019s forecasting through comprehensive data collection and integration at multiple levels, including governmental, private and non-governmental agencies and organizations.\u201d\n\n\u201cImproving the nation\u2019s resiliency to natural catastrophes including flooding will take the combined efforts of individuals, communities, businesses, and governments,\u201d said Nathaniel F. Wienecke, Senior Vice President, American Property Casualty Insurance Association. \u201cOn behalf of our members, we commend Senator Peters and Senator Wicker for addressing this important issue by taking action to improve flood monitoring and forecasting.\u201d\n\nThe FLOODS Act is also supported by the American Association of Flood Plain Managers, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, National Wildlife Federation, Environmental Defense Fund, National Society of Professional Surveyors, and the U.S. Geospatial Executives Organization.\n\nThe bipartisan bill will also form partnerships between NOAA and institutions of higher learning to bolster total water predictions, assign a service coordination hydrologist at each National Weather Service River Forecast Center to support decision making on the local and statewide levels, and establish a committee to increase coordination between federal agencies responsible for water management.\n\nPeters has led numerous efforts to support Michigan communities that have been affected by flooding and other severe weather events. Peters secured $500 million in funding as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law for a program he created to help states establish revolving loan programs for local governments to carry out mitigation projects that reduce the risk of natural disasters, including extreme flooding, shoreline erosion, and rising water levels. As Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters also convened a hearing with disaster preparedness and response experts to hear how worsening natural disasters, including flooding, severe storms, and wildfires, continue to harm lives and livelihoods in Michigan and across the nation.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-bipartisan-bill-signed-into-law-to-better-predict-severe-weather-and-protect-michiganders"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 3.3723260276019573, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}