New York faces a record-setting number of tornadoes, so there’s a strong push to enhance the nation’s weather monitoring system. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D—New York) visited the Mesonet Operations Command Center at UAlbany on Monday, advocating for increased funding to improve weather forecasting and emergency response.
In July alone, New York State confirmed 23 tornadoes, the highest number ever recorded in a single month. Notably, 10 tornadoes occurred on July 16, highlighting the urgent need for better weather monitoring. “For many communities in Upstate New York, the past month has been like a scene out of the movie ‘Twister,’” Schumer remarked.
During his visit to the New York State Mesonet Operations Command Center, Schumer emphasized the importance of boosting the funding for weather monitoring. He proposed a 50% increase in funding, which would add $30 million to the existing budget. This funding would help enhance the accuracy and reliability of weather predictions.
“The more information you have, coming from different places at the same time, the better you can predict what happens,” Schumer explained.
The Mesonet network consists of 33 hubs across the U.S., gathering live data and images from various weather stations. This hyper-local data is sent to the command center, aiding New York State in preparing for and responding to emergencies, such as the recent tornadoes.
“If you can know better and quicker and more in advance where a tornado will hit, and precisely where it will hit, you can save lives,” Schumer said.
Dr. June Wang, Mesonet Director, demonstrated how real-time images of Edinburg on July 16 helped the state respond to tornado damage. Enhanced funding could lead to the addition of more weather stations and potentially the deployment of drones to monitor weather conditions.
“We are in the process of working with others to see if we can deploy automatic drones, meteorology drones, at some sites to target special weather events. That’s still far down the road,” Dr. Wang said.
Schumer also expressed concern about the future of the National Weather Service’s funding. He warned that if former President Donald Trump wins the presidency again, funding could be cut as part of Project 2025, a policy plan created by some of Trump’s former staffers.
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Trump, however, has stated he is not aware of this plan. By advocating for increased funding, Schumer hopes to enhance the nation’s ability to monitor and respond to severe weather, ultimately saving lives and reducing damage.
