WASHINGTON, DC— U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today sent a letter to Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, urging the agency to fund the Susquehanna River Flood Forecasting and Warning System. Funding for the system, which helps communities located within the Susquehanna River basin prepare for flooding threats, was eliminated when the 2011 budget bill was blocked late last year.
“The loss of this system and the data it provides will curtail the ability of community leaders and emergency management agencies to make informed decisions about flooding preparation and response,” wrote Senator Casey. “Without this system, these communities will be forced to resort to unreliable methods and outdated practices to predict river and stream depths. This will subject the health, safety and welfare of residents living and working in the basin to an unacceptable risk.”
In the past, Senator Casey has worked with members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation to secure congressionally-directed funding for the system.
In his letter, Senator Casey notes that investing in the system ultimately saves the federal government money:
“The Susquehanna River Basin Commission reports that for every dollar invested by the federal government, the System saves $20 through reduced flood damages and reduced payouts through the federal flood insurance program,” wrote Senator Casey. “This translates to a benefit cost ratio of 20-to-1. Very few federal programs can claim to be as cost effective.”
The full text of the letter is below.
Dear Dr. Lubchenco:
I write today to call on you to allocate funding for the Susquehanna River Flood Forecasting and Warning System in fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2012. This system plays a vitally important role in helping communities located within the Susquehanna River basin identify and prepare for flooding threats.
The Susquehanna River starts in Cooperstown, N.Y., and flows 444 miles to Havre de Grace, Maryland, where the river meets the Chesapeake Bay. The basin encompasses parts of three states: Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. Communities along the river have historically been subjected to severe flooding, including the devastating flooding caused by Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
Congress has provided funding for the Susquehanna River Flood Forecasting System because these communities have lacked the ability to collect and disseminate accurate data on flooding threats. The system consists of a network of stream and rain gauges and radar technology that monitors river levels and provides advance warning on potential flooding. This information helps residents in these communities secure property and move to safer locations.
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission reports that for every dollar invested by the federal government, the System saves $20 through reduced flood damages and reduced payouts through the federal flood insurance program. This translates to a benefit cost ratio of 20-to-1. Very few federal programs can claim to be as cost effective.
The loss of this system and the data it provides will curtail the ability of community leaders and emergency management agencies to make informed decisions about flooding preparation and response. Without this system, these communities will be forced to resort to unreliable methods and outdated practices to predict river and stream depths. Similar, the ability of these communities to provide accurate and timely notice of impending floods will be significantly curtailed. This will subject the health, safety and welfare of residents living and working in the basin to an unacceptable risk.
A bipartisan group of Members of Congress representing communities located in the basin have made securing funding for this system a top priority. I have been a proud supporter of the system and have joined my colleagues in pursuing congressionally-directed funding to ensure its continued operation. However, as you know, Congress will not include congressionally-directed funding in either the fiscal 2011 or fiscal 2012 budgets. The earmark moratorium that has been put in place puts future funding for this initiative in jeopardy. This is a real problem because this system has been invaluable in providing data to forecast river levels and information about flooding threats along the Susquehanna.
In the absence of congressionally-directed funding, I strongly urge you to provide funding for this system from your baseline budget. I fully recognize the budgetary challenges facing NOAA and the National Weather Service. However, this system has played an instrumental role in helping communities in the Susquehanna River identify and prepare for flooding threats. Given the history of flooding experienced by these communities, it is simply irresponsible to forgo building on the worthwhile investment that taxpayers have already made in this system.
The Susquehanna River basin is one of the most flood prone basins in the nation. The failure to continue the investment in this system will inevitably cost the federal government money in the long run. History is unfortunately replete with examples of basin communities devastated as a result of flooding, and it is clear that the flooding threat will continue in perpeituity. The only question is whether the federal government will make the investments that are necessary to minimize and mitigate the effects of flooding. Cuts in spending in this budgetary environment are necessary, but we shouldn’t just indiscriminately eliminate worthwhile initiatives, like this one, that help communities prepare for and protect against natural disasters. I look forward to working with you to ensure that this system continues to provide real-time data on the flooding threat facing these communities.
Thank you for your attention to my views.
Sincerely,
Robert P. Casey, Jr.
United States Senator
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