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GAO-13-559R: 

GAO:
United States Government Accountability Office: 
441 G St. N.W. 
Washington, DC 20548: 

July 11, 2013: 

Congressional Committees: 

NOAA: Initial Response to Post-Storm Assessment Requirements: 

After a hurricane, assessing damage caused by different perils, such 
as high winds or flooding, is especially challenging when all that is 
left after the storm is a structure's foundation. For these 
properties, there may not be enough physical evidence to determine the 
extent to which damage was caused by wind versus flooding. Private 
property-casualty insurers typically cover wind damage but exclude 
coverage for flood damage. The National Flood Insurance Program, 
administered by the Department of Homeland Security's Federal 
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), provides federally backed coverage 
for flood damage. After the hurricane season in 2005, legal disputes 
arose between private property-casualty insurers and policyholders 
over interpretation of policy language that excluded coverage of 
damage caused concurrently or sequentially by a covered peril--wind--
and an excluded peril--flooding. 

The Consumer Option for an Alternative System to Allocate Losses Act 
of 2012 (COASTAL Act)[Footnote 1] addresses the compilation and use of 
scientific data to help FEMA allocate losses related to wind and 
flooding after major storms for certain properties. The act requires 
the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA) to generate post-storm assessments within 90 
days of certain tropical storms or hurricanes for FEMA's use in a 
standard formula for allocating such losses.[Footnote 2] To generate 
the post-storm assessments, NOAA is required by the COASTAL Act to 
develop a post-storm model by regulation by December 28, 2013, that 
replicates wind speeds, storm surge heights, and other measurements 
for these storms. The act requires a certain degree of accuracy for 
both the post-storm assessment and post-storm model. For example, the 
post-storm model must be designed to generate post-storm assessments 
that have a degree of accuracy of not less than 90 percent for every 
specific property loss for which it is utilized. The act does not 
define 90 percent accuracy and does not specify how to measure it. 

NOAA, in consultation with the Office of the Federal Coordinator for 
Meteorology (OFCM),[Footnote 3] also is to identify federal and state 
efforts, as well as domestic private and academic efforts, that are 
capable of collecting the weather data (i.e., covered data) necessary 
to develop the post-storm model and assessment, evaluate their 
coverage gaps, and report to Congress a plan for collecting the 
covered data.[Footnote 4] 

The act mandates GAO to audit federal efforts to collect covered data. 
[Footnote 5] During our review, NOAA was in the process of developing 
the post-storm model and determining which data collection efforts 
would be required. Based on discussions with the relevant committees, 
we determined our objectives were to examine (1) storm data collection 
efforts that NOAA has identified that may provide the covered data for 
the COASTAL Act storm model and (2) the extent to which selected 
federal agencies collect cost information on their storm data 
collection efforts. On May 29, 2013, we briefed you (see enclosure I) 
on our overall findings, which are also reflected in this report, 
concerning federal efforts to collect covered data to address the 
mandate. 

To examine storm data collection efforts that NOAA has identified, we 
reviewed COASTAL Act planning documents from an interagency work group 
that included NOAA and other agencies--the Department of the 
Interior's U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (the Corps), the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA), and FEMA. We interviewed officials from NOAA 
and these other agencies, as well as the Department of Homeland 
Security's U.S. Coast Guard and OFCM. We also interviewed 
representatives from a university, a nonprofit organization, and a 
private company about their storm data collection efforts because they 
were identified in the COASTAL Act planning documents and during 
interviews with the federal agencies. 

To examine the extent to which selected agencies collect cost 
information on their storm data collection efforts, we selected NOAA 
and USGS to focus on because these agencies had certain data 
collection efforts that agency officials told us would likely be an 
important source of covered data. We reviewed budget and financial 
documentation for fiscal years 2012 and 2013 provided by NOAA and USGS 
for their storm data collection efforts. We also interviewed agency 
officials from these two agencies to identify the type of cost 
information available for these agencies' storm data collection 
efforts. 

We conducted this performance audit from September 2012 to July 2013 
in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. 
Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain 
sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our 
findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe 
that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our 
findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. 

In summary, NOAA, in consultation with OFCM and other agencies, has 
identified federal and nonfederal storm data collection efforts that 
may provide the covered data for the COASTAL Act storm model. However, 
NOAA officials told us they will not know which specific efforts will 
be used until they develop the post-storm model. According to agency 
officials and representatives from nonfederal entities, efforts that 
can collect surface level water, wave, and wind measurements over land 
will likely provide important sources of data for the model. NOAA and 
USGS, as well as some nonfederal entities such as universities and 
private companies, currently collect some surface level data on wind 
and water. However, these officials and representatives said current 
efforts may not be sufficient for the model to achieve the highly 
accurate estimates needed for individual structures in all locations. 
For example, USGS officials said they may not have enough mobile, 
temporary water level sensors to deploy in locations along the 
Atlantic Coast for measuring storm tide.[Footnote 6] Moreover, 
officials from NOAA, USGS, and the Corps told us that current efforts 
do not measure certain types of data that likely will be needed to 
model wind and water impacts on individual structures. These officials 
said that, in particular, data on waves that occur over land on top of 
the storm surge are critical for assessing water damage to structures 
from tropical storms and hurricanes but are not currently collected. 
NOAA officials told us that, among their next steps in planning for 
meeting the requirements of the COASTAL Act, the agency will be 
examining how to fill the gaps they identified in current storm data 
collection efforts. 

The selected agencies we reviewed--NOAA and USGS--do not typically 
collect cost information on specific types of storm or weather data, 
such as wind speed, that reflects the expense for all activities 
involved in collecting and using the data. Officials from NOAA and 
USGS told us that their storm data collection efforts typically 
collect multiple types of storm or weather data and that the costs for 
processing, analyzing, and storing the data are calculated for all 
data types rather than a single one. Agencies then incorporate the 
cost information they do collect on their storm data collection 
efforts into the costs of major programs and projects, such as 
responding to a major hurricane. For example, one NOAA official said 
cost information is collected under the agency's Tides and Currents 
program for all data collected by the National Water Level Observation 
Network (NWLON) and another effort called the Physical Oceanographic 
Real-Time System (PORTS). NWLON collects water level data at the U.S. 
coastline and PORTS collects water and weather data in some U.S. ports 
and harbors. In addition, USGS officials told us they collected 
detailed cost information on activities related to collecting data on 
storm tide, barometric pressure, and high water mark levels during 
Hurricane Sandy. NOAA officials said that, as a next step in its 
COASTAL Act planning, the agency plans to prepare a resource analysis 
that is to, in part, identify some of the additional resources needed 
to fill gaps in storm data collection efforts. At the time of our 
review, a NOAA official told us that the agency did not know when the 
resource analysis would be completed because the agency officials 
involved in COASTAL Act planning were still deliberating on the post-
storm model and the data collection efforts that will be required for 
this model. 

We are not making any recommendations in this report. 

Agency Comments: 

We provided a draft of this report to officials from the Departments 
of Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security, and the Interior; NASA; and 
OFCM for their review and comment. Commerce and the Interior provided 
technical comments, which we incorporated as appropriate. The other 
agencies we reviewed had no comments. 

We are sending copies of this report to the Secretaries of Commerce, 
Defense, Homeland Security, and the Interior; the Administrator of 
NASA; the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology; the appropriate 
congressional committees; and other interested parties. In addition, 
the report is available at no charge on the GAO website at [hyperlink, 
http://www.gao.gov]. 

If you or your staff members have any questions concerning this 
report, please contact me at (202) 512-3841 or fennella@gao.gov. 
Contact points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public 
Affairs may be found on the last page of this report. GAO staff who 
made key contributions to this report are listed in enclosure II. 

Signed by: 

Anne-Marie Fennell: 
Director, Natural Resources and Environment: 

Enclosures--II: 

List of Committees: 
The Honorable Tim Johnson: 
Chairman: 
The Honorable Mike Crapo: 
Ranking Member: 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: 
United States Senate: 

The Honorable Jay Rockefeller: 
Chairman: 
The Honorable John Thune: 
Ranking Member: 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: 
United States Senate: 

The Honorable Jeb Hensarling: 
Chairman: 
The Honorable Maxine Waters: 
Ranking Member: 
Committee on Financial Services: 
House of Representatives: 

The Honorable Lamar Smith: 
Chairman: 
The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson: 
Ranking Member: 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: 
House of Representatives: 

[End of section] 

Enclosure I: 

Briefing on NOAA: Initial Response to Post-Storm Assessment 
Requirements: 

NOAA: Initial Response to Post-Storm Assessment Requirements: 

Briefing for Congressional Committees: 

May 29, 2013, revised June 28, 2013. 

Introduction: 

Hurricanes pose challenges for insurers and property owners because 
they cause damage from multiple perils, such as high winds and 
flooding. Assessing such damage is especially challenging when all 
that is left after the storm is a structure’s foundation. For these 
properties, there may not be enough physical evidence to determine the 
extent to which damage was caused by wind versus flooding. 

Private property-casualty insurers typically cover wind damage but 
exclude coverage for flood damage. The National Flood Insurance 
Program (NFIP), administered by the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency (FEMA), provides federally backed coverage for flood damage. 

After the hurricane season in 2005, legal disputes arose between 
private property-casualty insurers and policyholders over 
interpretation of policy language that excluded coverage of damage 
caused concurrently or sequentially by a covered peril-—wind—-and an 
excluded peril-—flooding. 

The Consumer Option for an Alternative System to Allocate Losses Act 
of 2012 (COASTAL Act)[Footnote 1] addresses the compilation and use of 
scientific data to help FEMA allocate losses related to wind and 
flooding after major storms for certain properties (i.e., 
indeterminate losses). 

Under the act, indeterminate losses are those arising from flooding 
and wind associated with a named storm where an adjuster certified 
under the NFIP,[Footnote 2] in consultation with an engineer, as 
appropriate, determines for that specific property there (1) are no 
material remnants except the building foundation and (2) is 
insufficient or no tangible evidence as a result of the named storm. 

The act requires that the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) generate post-storm assessments 
within 90 days of a named tropical storm or hurricane that the NOAA 
Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland 
Security, determines may reasonably constitute a threat to any portion 
of a coastal state, including U.S. territories.[Footnote 3] 

Under the act, NOAA must ensure, to the greatest extent practicable, 
that each post-storm assessment has a degree of accuracy of not less 
than 90 percent. In addition, the NOAA Administrator is to certify the 
degree of accuracy for each post-storm assessment, including specific 
reference to any segments or geographic areas for which the assessment 
is less than 90 percent accurate. 

To generate post-storm assessments, the act requires NOAA to develop 
by regulation a post-storm model that replicates wind speeds, storm 
surge heights, and other measurements for the designated named storm. 
The post-storm model must be designed to generate post-storm 
assessments that have a degree of accuracy of not less than 90 percent 
for every indeterminate loss for which it is utilized. 

NOAA also is to identify federal and state efforts, as well as 
domestic private and academic efforts, that are capable of collecting 
the weather data (i.e., covered data) necessary to develop the post-
storm model and assessment, evaluate their coverage gaps, and report 
to Congress a plan for collecting the covered data. 

The act further requires FEMA, in consultation with NOAA, to establish 
by rule a standard formula to determine and allocate wind losses and 
flood losses for claims involving indeterminate losses that uses NOAA’
s post-storm assessment; however, FEMA can only use the post-storm 
assessment if NOAA certifies that it has a degree of accuracy of not 
less than 90 percent in connection with the specific indeterminate 
loss for which the assessment and formula are used. 

Objectives: 

The COASTAL Act mandates GAO to audit federal efforts to collect 
covered data. 

The act mandates GAO to submit a report on its audit findings by July 
6, 2013, to the Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the U.S. Senate; and the 
Committees on Financial Services and on Science, Space, and Technology 
of the House of Representatives. 

During the course of our work, NOAA was still in the process of 
developing the post-storm model and determining which data collection 
efforts would be required. Based on discussions with the cognizant 
congressional committees, we determined our objectives were to examine: 

* storm data collection efforts that NOAA has identified that may 
provide the covered data for the COASTAL Act storm model, and; 

* the extent to which selected federal agencies collect cost 
information on their storm data collection efforts. 

Scope and Methodology: 

To examine storm data collection efforts that NOAA has identified that 
may provide the covered data for the COASTAL Act storm model: 

* We reviewed COASTAL Act planning documents from an interagency work 
group that included NOAA and other agencies—-the U.S. Geological 
Survey (USGS), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps), and National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-—with which the act 
required NOAA to consult. Among the documents we reviewed were 
descriptions that officials compiled on the agencies’ observing 
systems (referred to in this review as data collection efforts). 

We interviewed officials from NOAA and the other agencies identified 
above, as well as FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Office of the 
Federal Coordinator for Meteorology (OFCM), with which the act also 
required NOAA to consult.[Footnote 4] In addition to the agencies 
identified in the COASTAL Act, we interviewed representatives from a 
university, a nonprofit organization, and a private company about 
their storm data collection efforts because they were identified in 
the COASTAL Act planning documents and during interviews with the 
federal agencies. 

To examine the extent to which selected agencies collect cost 
information on their storm data collection efforts: 

* We selected NOAA and USGS to focus on because in examining objective 
1, we found that these agencies had certain data collection efforts 
that agency officials told us would likely be an important source of 
covered data. 

* We reviewed budget and financial documentation for fiscal years 2012 
and 2013 provided by NOAA and USGS for these storm data collection 
efforts. 

* We interviewed agency officials from NOAA and USGS to identify the 
type of cost information available for these agencies’ storm data 
collection efforts. 

Officials from the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Homeland 
Security, and the Interior; NASA; and OFCM reviewed a draft version of 
this presentation for factual accuracy. Commerce and the Interior 
provided technical clarifications, which we incorporated as 
appropriate. 

Summary of Findings: 

NOAA, in consultation with OFCM and other agencies, has identified 
federal and nonfederal storm data collection efforts that may provide 
the covered data for the COASTAL Act storm model. However, NOAA 
officials told us they will not know which specific efforts will be 
used until they develop the model. According to agency officials and 
representatives from nonfederal entities, efforts that can collect 
surface level water, wave, and wind measurements over land will likely 
provide important sources of data for the model. However, these 
officials and representatives said current surface level data 
collection efforts may not be sufficient for the model to achieve the 
highly accurate estimates needed for individual structures in all 
locations. For example, data are not currently collected on waves that 
occur over land on top of the storm surge. 

The selected agencies we reviewed—-NOAA and USGS-—do not collect cost 
information on specific types of storm data, such as wind speed or 
storm surge. Agency officials said their data collection efforts 
typically collect multiple types of storm or weather data, and cost 
information on these efforts is calculated for all data collected. The 
agencies then incorporate the cost information they collect on these 
efforts into the costs of major programs and projects, such as 
responding to a major hurricane. 

Background: 

As shown in figure 1, the COASTAL Act contains a number of 
requirements and deliverables for NOAA and FEMA to help FEMA establish 
a standardized loss allocation system for evaluating wind and water 
losses. 

NOAA’s post-storm model (Named Storm Event Model) is a key requirement 
because it will be used to generate the post-storm assessments. 

The post-storm model must be designed to generate post-storm 
assessments that have a degree of accuracy of not less than 90 percent 
for every indeterminate loss for which it is utilized. The act does 
not define 90 percent accuracy and does not specify how to measure it. 

According to NOAA officials, developing a model that can replicate 
storm measurements for an individual structure with not less than 90 
percent accuracy represents a scientific and technical challenge 
because the agency does not currently possess the capability to model 
with this level of detail. 

Figure 1: Timeline of COASTAL Act Requirements: 

[Refer to PDF for image: timeline] 

July 6, 2012: 
The Consumer Option for an Alternative System to Allocate Losses Act 
of 2012 (COASTAL Act) was enacted, along with other provisions 
reauthorizing and reforming, the National Flood Insurance Program 
within the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act. 

January 2, 2013: 
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in 
consultation with the Office of the Federal Coordinator for 
Meteorology (OFCM), must identify all federal and state efforts and 
systems as well as domestic private and academic systems that are 
capable of collecting covered data (not later than 180 days after 
enactment). 

April 2, 2013: 
NOAA must establish a database-—called the Coastal Wind and Water 
Event Database—-for the collection and compilation of covered data 
(not later than 1 year after enactment). 

July 6, 2013: 
NOAA, in consultation with OFCM, must submit to Congress a plan for 
collecting the covered data necessary to develop the storm model and 
post-storm assessment, including any coverage gaps in the identified 
systems (not later than 270 days after enactment). 

December 28, 2013: 
NOAA must develop a post-storm model—called the Named Storm Event 
Model—by regulation and a protocol for collecting and assembling the 
covered data (not later than 540 days after enactment). 

June 26: 2014: 
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in consultation with 
NOAA, must establish by rule a standard formula—called the COASTAL 
Formula—to determine and allocate wind losses and flood losses for 
claims involving indeterminate loss properties. Along with other 
information, the COASTAL Formula must use NOAA’s post-storm 
assessment, if NOAA certifies that it has a degree of accuracy of not 
less than 90 percent in connection with the specific indeterminate 
loss for which the assessment and formula are used (not later than 180 
days after NOAA establishes the protocol for collecting and assembling 
the covered data for the database). 

FEMA must submit the COASTAL Formula to the National Academy of 
Sciences for evaluation; the National Academy will submit a report on 
this evaluation to congressional committees (upon issuance of the rule 
establishing the COASTAL Formula and any subsequent amendments). 

Note: After FEMA establishes the COASTAL Formula, by rule, the NOAA 
Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland 
Security, is required to identify named storms that may reasonably 
constitute a threat to any portion of a coastal state, as defined in 
the act (which includes U.S. territories). In addition, not later than 
90 days after the identification of a named storm, NOAA must submit 
the post-storm assessment to the Secretary of Homeland Security. 

Source: GAO analysis of the COASTAL Act. 

[End of figure] 

Under the act, NOAA’s post-storm model must use covered data to 
replicate the condition of winds and water for a designated named 
tropical storm or hurricane. 

Covered data are specified in the act as data collected before, 
during, or after designated named storms and necessary to determine 
magnitude and timing of wind speeds, rainfall, barometric pressure, 
and river flows; the extent, height, and timing of storm 
surge;topographic (land shape) and bathymetric (ocean depth) data; and 
other measures. 

In addition to NOAA, a number of federal agencies collect weather data 
for diverse agency purposes. The act directs NOAA to consult with 
certain of these agencies—including USGS, the Corps, and NASA, among 
others—to coordinate the collection and maintenance of covered data 
and establish a process to share information regarding the covered 
data. 

In September 2012, OFCM established an interagency work group, co-
chaired by NOAA, USGS, and the Corps, to help NOAA identify federal 
and nonfederal data collection efforts for purposes of the COASTAL 
Act. NOAA also solicited input from academic, state, and private 
entities. 

In consultation with the interagency work group, NOAA and OFCM 
developed a COASTAL Act Capabilities Development Plan to describe 
NOAA’s approach for addressing the requirements of the act. At the time 
of our review, NOAA officials told us that the agency’s senior leadership 
was reviewing the plan and the agency had not yet submitted the plan 
to Congress. Because it is unknown how long the entire clearance 
process will take, program officials do not know when the plan will be 
submitted to Congress. 

The plan identifies, among other things, the types of data it may need 
for its post-storm model. It also provides an inventory of federal and 
nonfederal weather data collection efforts that currently may collect 
the covered data at various levels of detail. 

Objective 1: Storm Data Collection Efforts: 

NOAA has identified storm data collection efforts that may provide the 
covered data for the post-storm model. 

* NOAA, in consultation with OFCM and the other agencies in the 
interagency work group, identified a range of data collection efforts 
that may provide the covered data. 

* These included data collection efforts by at least six federal 
agencies, as well as nonfederal entities. These efforts collect 
weather data on the ground and in water, as well as from sensors 
dropped from airplanes and positioned on satellites. For example, some 
NOAA airplanes fly into the eye of a hurricane and drop sensors to 
collect wind and other types of weather data. 

* NOAA officials told us that the agency will not know which specific 
data collection efforts will be used or whether additional efforts 
would be needed until the agency develops the post-storm model. 
However, according to NOAA officials, there will be gaps in current 
data collection efforts. These gaps are discussed in more detail later 
in these slides. 

Surface Level Data Collection Efforts: 

According to agency officials and representatives from nonfederal 
entities we spoke with, data collection efforts that can provide 
surface level water, wave, and wind measurements over land will likely 
provide important data for the post-storm model. 

These efforts will be important because the post-storm model will 
require measurements of water, wave, and wind data analyzed at 
regularly spaced time intervals (i.e., time series) as near as 
possible to the location of indeterminate loss structures. 

NOAA and USGS, as well as some nonfederal entities, such as 
universities and private companies, currently collect some surface 
level data on wind and water. 

The following two slides provide examples of surface level data 
collection efforts. 

NOAA National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON): 
These are permanent observing stations that, among other things, 
collect water level data at the coastline (see figure 2). There are 
currently 210 NWLON stations nationwide, and 91 of these are located 
in states along the Gulf or East Coasts, as well as Puerto Rico and 
the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Figure 2: National Water Level Observation Network Station: 

[Refer to PDF for image: photograph] 

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Ocean 
Service/Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services. 

[End of figure] 

USGS Mobile Storm Tide Networks: 
These are mobile, temporary water level sensors that are installed 
along the shore line and a short distance inland(see figure 3). There 
are 300 sensors distributed among USGS offices in most of the coastal 
states to facilitate rapid deployment 48 to 24 hours prior to a major 
storm’s landfall. These sensors supplement permanent water level 
sensors. 

Figure 3: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Storm Tide Sensor Deployed 
Prior to Hurricane Irene: 

[Refer to PDF for image: photograph] 

Source: USGS/Photographer Kristen McSwain. 

[End of figure] 

NOAA Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS): 
This is a network of about 1,000 permanent stations located primarily 
at airports and operated jointly with the Federal Aviation 
Administration and Department of Defense(see figure 4). ASOS stations 
measure wind speed and other weather data. There are about 145 
stations located in coastal counties in the states along the Gulf and 
East Coasts, as well as Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Figure 4: Automated Surface Observing Systems Station: 

[Refer to PDF for image: photograph] 

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

[End of figure] 

Digital Hurricane Consortium Deployable Sensors: 
This is a network of mobile, temporary sensors, such as tripods called 
“StickNets,” that collect wind speed and other weather data (see 
figure 5). They are operated by a group of universities primarily in 
the Gulf Coast and Florida. These sensors are deployed on land at the 
expected location of a storm’s landfall and aim to collect the highest 
wind speed. 

Figure 5: Texas Tech University’s “StickNet” Tripod: 

[Refer to PDF for image: photograph] 

Source: Texas Tech University. 

[End of figure] 

Gaps in Surface Level Data Collection Efforts: 

According to agency officials and representatives from nonfederal 
entities we spoke with,current surface data collection efforts may not 
be sufficient for the post-storm model to achieve the highly accurate 
estimates needed for individual structures in all locations. 

For example, NOAA officials told us that wind speed sensors in ASOS 
are not designed to measure wind speeds greater than 190 miles per 
hour, which are the sustained wind speeds observed in the most severe 
category of hurricanes (i.e., Category 5). In addition, ASOS platforms 
are sometimes damaged or destroyed in major hurricanes. Furthermore, 
power failures during major storms often result in data losses from 
ASOS platforms. NOAA has been working to provide uninterrupted power 
supplies to a subset of ASOS stations located in hurricane-prone areas. 

In addition, according to USGS officials, they may not have enough 
mobile storm tide sensors to deploy along the Atlantic Coast. Because 
tracking the location of hurricane landfall along the Atlantic Coast 
is more challenging than for storms approaching the Gulf Coast, the 
officials explained that the agency may need more sensors available in 
more locations along the Atlantic Coast. 

Further, NOAA officials told us storm data collection capabilities in 
the U.S. territories in the Caribbean and Pacific basins are extremely 
limited. The officials said that some locations may have only one or 
two storm data collection stations, and would need additional stations 
to adequately collect data on named storms in these locations. 

Officials from NOAA, USGS, and the Corps told us that current surface 
level data collection efforts do not measure certain types of data 
that likely will be needed to model wind and water impacts on 
individual structures. In particular, data on the action of waves that 
occur over land on top of the storm surge are critical for assessing 
water damage to structures from tropical storms and hurricanes but are 
not currently collected. 

Figure 6 in the following slide shows the different water level data 
needed to model storm surge, storm tide, and waves over land, 
according to agency officials. 

* Storm surge: an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm, above 
and beyond the normal high tide (data measured); 

* Storm tide: water level rise due to the combination of storm surge 
and the normal high tide (data measured); 

* Waves over land on top of storm surge (data not measured). 

Figure 6: Data Needed to Model Storm Surge, Storm Tide, and Waves Over 
Land: 

[Refer to PDF for image: illustration] 

Sea level: data collected. 

Normal high tide (+2 feet): data collected. 

Storm surge (+15 feet): data collected. 

Storm tide (+17 feet): data collected. 

Waves above the storm surge and storm tide: data not collected. 

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

[End of figure] 

Topographic and Bathymetric Data Collection Efforts: 

According to NOAA officials, data on land shape and ocean depth (i.e., 
topographic and bathymetric data) will be needed to replicate 
conditions at an individual structure. 

NOAA, USGS, and the Corps collect these data for different purposes. 
For example: 

* NOAA collects bathymetric data from coastal and open ocean areas in 
support of mission requirements, including charting, navigation, and 
hazard mitigation, as well as for storm surge forecast models. 

* USGS collects topographic and bathymetric data to study the 
vulnerability of U.S. shorelines to coastal change hazards such as the 
effects of severe storms. 

* The Corps collects topographic and bathymetric data of U.S. 
shorelines to support design of specific projects, operations, 
dredging, and regulatory functions. 

According to agency officials, the agencies collect these data through 
both individual and joint efforts. 

Gaps in Topographic and Bathymetric Data: 

NOAA officials told us that current topographic and bathymetric data 
of U.S. coastal areas may be outdated because of significant coastline 
changes due to erosion and other factors. 

In addition, NOAA officials also told us that these data must first be 
processed into a digital elevation model in order to be used as input 
data in storm models; however, current high-quality digital elevation 
models that would likely be needed for the post-storm model are not 
available for all U.S. coastal areas, in particular the Gulf and East 
Coasts. 

NOAA officials told us that the agency has produced most of its 
current high-quality digital elevation models to support the agency’s 
Tsunami Program, primarily on the West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, and the 
Caribbean. NOAA uses data from federal and other sources, and 
coordinates development of these models with the State-Federal 
National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program. 

In addition to topographic and bathymetric data, NOAA officials told 
us that related data on land use and cover (e.g., residential areas or 
forests) will be needed to replicate wind conditions for an individual 
structure. Specifically, these data are converted to “roughness” data 
which determines how different types of land use and cover affect wind 
speed and direction. 

NOAA officials told us that highly detailed roughness data will be 
needed for analyzing wind for the post-storm model. However, the 
officials explained that such data are not currently available for 
U.S. coastal areas susceptible to tropical storms and hurricanes. 

Agency officials told us that although their current storm data 
collection efforts collect similar types of data, the data have 
important differences and supplement each other for purposes of 
measuring storm conditions. For example: 

* NOAA’s permanent, fixed NWLON stations, which are located miles 
apart along the U.S. coast, measure water levels at all times for 
multiple purposes and not solely for observing major storms. 

* USGS’s mobile storm tide sensors are typically positioned during 
major storms to supplement data collected by NOAA’s fixed water level 
sensors to obtain detailed measures of the advancing storm surge. 

NOAA officials told us that, among their next steps in planning for 
meeting the requirements of the COASTAL Act, the agency will be 
examining how to fill the gaps they identified in current storm data 
collection efforts. 

Objective 2: Cost Information: 

Agencies do not collect cost information that reflects the costs of 
all activities in collecting and using a specific type of storm data. 

* The selected agencies we reviewed—-NOAA and USGS-—do not typically 
collect cost information for each type of storm or weather data, such 
as wind speed or storm surge, that reflects the expense for all 
activities involved in collecting and using the data. For example: 

- NOAA officials told us that they do not track a cost figure that 
reflects the costs of all activities involved in collecting and using 
a unit of wind speed data from their ASOS stations. 

* Agency officials told us that the following activities involved in 
collecting storm data generate costs: deployment, maintenance, and 
operation of observing systems; communications and processing; 
analysis; dissemination; and data storage. 

Officials from NOAA and USGS told us that their storm data collection 
efforts generally involve more than one type of storm or weather data. 

The costs for processing, analyzing, and storing the data are 
calculated for all data types rather than a single one. For example: 

* NOAA officials told us that their NWLON stations collect data on 
water levels, wind, and barometric pressure. NOAA officials told us 
that it would be challenging, for example, to identify the costs for 
processing only the water level data because agency staff process all 
data collected by the NWLON stations at the same time. 

* NOAA officials also told us that data storage is a centralized 
agency activity provided by the National Environmental Satellite, 
Data, and Information Service. The costs for the staff and computing 
resources needed are based on all storm data types and not one element 
of data. 

Agencies incorporate the cost information they collect on their storm 
data collection efforts into the costs of major programs and projects. 

According to NOAA officials, the agency’s major programs include the 
costs of multiple storm data collection efforts. For example, one 
official told us that cost information is collected for all data from 
NWLON stations and another effort under one program. 

NOAA and USGS officials told us that they also collect cumulative cost 
information for special projects, such as activities related to 
responding to a major hurricane. 

* USGS officials collected detailed cost information on storm tide, 
barometric pressure, and high water mark level data collected during 
Hurricane Sandy.[Footnote 5] USGS reported total costs for all 
activities, such as deploying and operating sensors, and processing 
and disseminating the data, were about $533,000. 

As a next step in its COASTAL Act planning, NOAA plans to prepare a 
resource analysis that is to, in part, identify some of the additional 
resources needed to fill gaps in storm data collection efforts. 

Briefing slides footnotes: 

[1] The act was enacted along with other provisions reauthorizing and 
reforming the NFIP within the Moving Ahead for Progress in the21st 
Century Act. Pub. L. No. 112-141, Div. F, Tit. II, Subtit. B, 126 
Stat. 405, 969 (2012). 

[2] Specifically, the act defines a “named storm” as any organized 
weather system with a defined surface circulation and maximum winds of 
at least 39 miles per hour that the National Weather Service of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) names a 
tropical storm or hurricane. According to NOAA officials, the act did 
not fully capture the official NOAA criteria used when categorizing 
and naming tropical storms and hurricanes (i.e., tropical cyclones), 
which requires maximum sustained winds of 39 miles per hour or 
greater. NOAA officials told us that the agency will continue to 
follow its criteria in naming these types of storms. 

[3] Specifically, a coastal state is defined as a U.S. state in, or 
bordering on, the Atlantic, Pacific, or Arctic Ocean, the Gulf of 
Mexico, Long Island Sound, or one or more of the Great Lakes. In 
addition, the definition of a coastal state includes Puerto Rico and 
the other U.S.territories. 

[4] OFCM is an interdepartmental office, within the Department of 
Commerce, established in 1964 to coordinate federal meteorological 
activities among various agencies. 

[5] USGS’s storm tide data collection effort for Hurricane Sandy was 
funded by FEMA. 

[End of Enclosure I, Briefing Slides] 

Enclosure II: 

GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments: 

GAO Contact: 

Anne-Marie Fennell, (202) 512-3841 or fennella@gao.gov: 

Staff Acknowledgments: 

In addition to the contact listed above, key contributors to this 
report were Jeff Malcolm, Assistant Director; Cheryl Arvidson; Brian 
M. Friedman; Cindy Gilbert; Bridget Grimes; Armetha Liles; Mehrzad 
Nadji; and Jeanette Soares. 

[End of Enclosure II] 

Footnotes: 

[1] Pub. L. No. 112-141, Div. F, Tit. II, Subtit. B, 126 Stat. 405, 
969 (2012). 

[2] Specifically, the act requires NOAA to generate these assessments 
for "named" storms that the NOAA Administrator, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Homeland Security, determines may reasonably 
constitute a threat to any portion of a coastal state. The act defines 
a named storm as any organized weather system with a defined surface 
circulation and maximum winds of at least 39 miles per hour that 
NOAA's National Weather Service names a tropical storm or hurricane. 
According to NOAA officials, the act did not fully capture the 
official NOAA criteria used when categorizing and naming tropical 
storms and hurricanes (i.e., tropical cyclones), which requires 
maximum sustained winds of 39 miles per hour or greater. NOAA 
officials told us that the agency will continue to follow its criteria 
in naming these types of storms. A coastal state is defined as a U.S. 
state in, or bordering on, the Atlantic, Pacific, or Arctic Ocean, the 
Gulf of Mexico, Long Island Sound, or one or more of the Great Lakes 
and includes the U.S. territories. 

[3] OFCM is an interdepartmental office, within the Department of 
Commerce, established in 1964 to coordinate federal meteorological 
activities among various agencies. 

[4] Covered data are defined by the act as data collected before, 
during, or after named storms and necessary to determine magnitude and 
timing of wind speeds, rainfall, barometric pressure, and river flows; 
the extent, height, and timing of storm surge; topographic (land 
shape) and bathymetric (ocean depth) data; and other measures. 

[5] Pub. L. No. 112-141, Div. F, Tit. II, Subtit. B, § 100252, 126 
Stat. 405, 974 (2012). The act requires GAO to submit a report on its 
audit findings by July 6, 2013 (1 year after enactment of the act). 

[6] USGS installs these sensors along the shoreline and a short 
distance inland to supplement permanent water level sensors. According 
to USGS officials, there are 300 sensors distributed among USGS 
offices in most of the coastal states to facilitate rapid deployment 
48 to 24 hours prior to a major storm's landfall. Storm tide is water 
level rise due to the combination of storm surge and the normal high 
tide. 

[End of section] 

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