View all text of Chapter 121 [§ 9701 - § 9712]
§ 9704. Service coordination hydrologists at River Forecast Centers of the National Weather Service
(a) Designation of service coordination hydrologists
(1) In general
(2) Performance by other employees
(b) Primary role of service coordination hydrologists
(c) Responsibilities
(1) In general
Subject to paragraph (2), consistent with the analysis described in section 409 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–25; 131 Stat. 112), and in order to increase impact-based decision support services, each service coordination hydrologist designated under subsection (a) shall, with respect to hydrology—
(A) be responsible for providing service to the geographic area of responsibility covered by the River Forecast Center at which the service coordination hydrologist is employed to help ensure that users of products and services of the National Weather Service can respond effectively to improve outcomes from flood events;
(B) liaise with users of products and services of the National Weather Service, such as the public, academia, media outlets, users in the hydropower, transportation, recreation, and agricultural communities, and forestry, land, fisheries, and water management interests, to evaluate the adequacy and usefulness of the products and services of the National Weather Service;
(C) collaborate with such River Forecast Centers and Weather Forecast Offices and Federal, State, local, and Tribal government agencies as the Director considers appropriate in developing, proposing, and implementing plans to develop, modify, or tailor products and services of the National Weather Service to improve the usefulness of such products and services;
(D) engage in interagency partnerships with Federal, State, local, and Tribal government agencies to explore the use of forecast-informed reservoir operations to reduce flood risk;
(E) ensure the maintenance and accuracy of flooding call lists, appropriate office flooding policy or procedures, and other flooding information or dissemination methodologies or strategies; and
(F) work closely with Federal, State, local, and Tribal emergency and floodplain management agencies, and other agencies relating to disaster management, to ensure a planned, coordinated, and effective preparedness and response effort.
(2) Other staff
(d) Additional responsibilities
(1) In general
Subject to paragraph (2), a service coordination hydrologist designated under subsection (a) may, with respect to hydrology—
(A) work with a State agency to develop plans for promoting more effective use of products and services of the National Weather Service throughout the State;
(B) identify priority community preparedness objectives;
(C) develop plans to meet the objectives identified under subparagraph (B); and
(D) conduct flooding event preparedness planning and citizen education efforts with and through various State, local, and Tribal government agencies and other disaster management-related organizations.
(2) Other staff
(Pub. L. 117–316, § 5, Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4408.)