Padilla, Murkowski Introduce Bill for Atmospheric River Forecasting

U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have announced bipartisan legislation that will reduce flood risks and bolster emergency preparedness by improving atmospheric river forecasting to predict the timing and location of these storms more precisely. 

The Improving Atmospheric River Forecasts Act would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a forecast improvement program within the National Weather Service. The legislation was announced as major atmospheric river storms bring high winds, heavy rain, and snowfall to California.

Atmospheric rivers - often described as “rivers in the sky” that are hundreds of miles wide and can carry water vapor equivalent to multiple Mississippi Rivers - cause more than 80 percent of flood damage across the West. 

Climate change will only make these storms increasingly catastrophic - by 2090, atmospheric rivers are expected to cost $2.3 to $3.2 billion in annual damages and increase width by nearly 25 percent. Over 50 atmospheric rivers landed across the West Coast from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.

For the past several years, California communities have witnessed firsthand the ongoing threat of destructive flooding caused by increasingly intense and frequent atmospheric river storms." said Senator Padilla. “California has led the way in improving our understanding of these storms, and this bipartisan bill will strengthen forecasts to reduce flood risks while bolstering our water supply and drought resilience."

"With greater frequency, we see atmospheric rivers instill dangerous climate conditions that pose deadly threats to Alaska communities,” said Senator Murkowski. “While there are numerous atmospheric river observatories in the Lower 48, none are in Alaska. This bill ensures that all states along the West Coast, including Alaska, have at least one atmospheric river observatory. Along with improved modeling, data collection, and risk communication, this legislation will help protect our communities and save lives across Alaska."

"Atmospheric rivers are responsible for 30-50% of annual precipitation along the western U.S. and cause the majority of the flooding, with more than $1 billion in annual average flood damage in the western 11 states.

"The introduction of this act is critically important to advance forecasts of atmospheric rivers to enable more flexible and resilient water management, improved warning around flooding, and overall improvements to public safety," noted Marty Ralph, Founding Director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.