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March 01, 2021

Environment Subcommittee Chairwoman Mikie Sherrill Introduces Flood Legislation

(Washington, DC) – Last Friday, Environment Subcommittee Chairwoman Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) introduced two bipartisan bills that address flood research, data collection, and communications, the Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support (FLOODS) Act and the Providing Research and Estimates of Changes in Precipitation (PRECIP) Act. The FLOODS Act directs the National Weather Service to better predict, forecast, and communicate about flooding events, which will help communities better respond to floods. The PRECIP Act provides critical updates to extreme precipitation data, which will improve understanding of how changing precipitation patterns affect flood risk. 

Both bills were co-sponsored by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Science Committee Members Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL), Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), and Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC), along with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), and Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ).

“Flooding can be devastating for homeowners, business owners, and communities across the country,” said Subcommittee Chairwoman Sherrill. “We’ve seen the impact right here in North Jersey with repeat flooding events. The FLOODS Act and the PRECIP Act will help the federal government improve forecasting and communication of flood, tornado, and hurricane events to better serve communities at risk for flooding events.”

“We’ve seen how communities can be uprooted, and the toll these events take on our heroic first responders, volunteers, and medical professionals, both immediately and in the years of rebuilding that follow,” said Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). “These bills provide a complementary approach to flooding to empower homeowners to make the best decisions for their families and enable climate-resilient communities and policymaking.”

The FLOODS Act has been endorsed by Jacobs, Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), Union of Concerned Scientists, Association of State Floodplain Management (ASFPM), National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Iowa Flood Center, American Public Works Association (APWA), American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP), and National Flood Association (NFA). 

The PRECIP Act has been endorsed by Pew Charitable Trusts, Jacobs, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), Geospatial Equipment & Technology Institute (GETI), National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS), US Geospatial Executives Organization (U.S. GEO), Waterfront Alliance, Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM), Union of Concerned Scientists, Iowa Flood Center, American Public Works Association (APWA), American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP), and National Flood Association (NFA).