About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

LOG IN
LOG IN


1 1 (February 1, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/goveknt0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional * ResearchS Srvice Atmospheric Rivers: Background and Forecasting February 1, 2023 An atmospheric river (AR) consists of a long band of water vapor moving through the atmosphere, typically resulting in heavy precipitation over land (Figure 1). Improved AR observations and understanding (especially for large ARs) may facilitate flood preparedness and response and water supply management. This is especially true in some western snowpack-dominated watersheds. ARs significantly influence U.S. West Coast water conditions, producing on average 30%-50% of the region's annual precipitation, as illustrated by the December 2022-January 2023 series of ARs that affected the region, particularly California. ARs may have implications for other U.S. regions, as well. For instance, ARs from the Gulf of Mexico contributed to central U.S. flooding in 1983 and 2008 and southern U.S. flooding in 2016. Congress may influence AR research and the use of AR information through authorizations and appropriations for involved agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which conducts and supports AR science, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), which manages water resources and flood risks. Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN12094 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress -