CRS Reports – Week of 9-28-24 – Hurricane Rapid Intensification

This week the Congressional Research Service (CRS) published a report on “Hurricane Rapid Intensification: In Brief”. This report provides a brief introduction to the topic of apparent increase in the number of instances of rapid intensification of hurricanes as they approach coastal communities. In light of the recent hurricane Helene, this topic may be of increasing interest in the waning days of the 118^th Congress.

This report covers three major topics:

• Forecasting tropical cyclone intensity,

• Tropical cyclone intensities in the recent past, and

• Potential tropical cyclone intensities in the future.

The report concludes with four potential areas of consideration for Congress:

• How can federal agencies, such as NOAA, improve the public’s understanding and response to tropical cyclone watches and warnings, especially in cases where it is unclear whether a storm may rapidly intensify?

• Should federal support of coastal state, local, tribal, and territorial long-term planning, response, and building code adoption and enforcement change if RI is observed or projected to occur more frequently along the coast? If so, how?

• Evacuation orders are issued at the local level—what federal data and information would be most useful, and in what timeframe, to emergency managers deciding whether to issue a voluntary or mandatory evacuation with a tropical cyclone that may rapidly intensify right before landfall?

• What, if any, changes can be made to evacuation and shelter procedures and planning to account for increased tropical storm intensity by emergency managers and individuals, particularly those that may face particular risk during an intense tropical cyclone (e.g., individuals with disabilities, elderly individuals, children)? 

With the Republicans in control of the House (at least) through the end of the year, there is little likelihood that any effective legislation on this topic will move forward, since it would appear that the increased incidences of rapid intensification are related to climate change. What happens in the 119^th Congress will depend on what happens on November 5^th.