On 24 August 2022, AGU sent a letter to Representative Cartwright in support of the Preparedness and Risk Management for Extreme Weather Patterns Assuring Resilience and Effectiveness (PREPARE) Act. 

On behalf of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and our worldwide community of 130,000 Earth and space science experts and enthusiasts, I am writing to thank you for crafting the Preparedness and Risk Management for Extreme Weather Patterns Assuring Resilience and Effectiveness (PREPARE) Act of 2022 and to offer AGU’s endorsement for this important bill.

We applaud the constructive steps this bill takes towards improving our nation’s resiliency and infrastructure during severe weather events.  Every year, our society incurs devastating losses, both human and economic, from extreme weather-related hazards. Just last year, there were 20 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disaster events across the U.S., costing a total of $145 billion and the lives of over 720 people.[i] It is critical that federal, state, Tribal and local decisionmakers have the best possible information when it comes to natural disasters that affect American livelihoods.

We also applaud the bill’s acknowledgement of the vulnerable and underserved individuals and communities who are disproportionately harmed by extreme weather events. Effective resilience strategies must be based both on sound science and the needs of the impacted communities. Together we can create a more resilient society, where lives are saved and economic losses are minimized.

AGU appreciates your continued leadership in making science-informed policy to build a prepared and resilient society. Given our strong shared interests in addressing the impacts of extreme weather, we look forward to continuing working with you on this critical issue in the future.

[i] NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2022). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/, DOI: 10.25921/stkw-7w73

Read the full letter here.