Press Release
☷Remarks by U S Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves at the NOAA Hurricane Awareness Tour
U.S. Department of Commerce ( By Press Release office)
May 03,2022
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Remarks by U . S . Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves at the NOAA Hurricane Awareness Tour Environmental data Weather and satellites Don Graves AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY Tuesday , May 3 , 2022 Office of Public Affairs publicaffairs@doc . gov Thank you , Lori , for that kind introduction . And thank you , NOAA Administrator Dr . Rick Spinrad and National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham for inviting me to join you today . I’d also like to welcome our interagency colleagues from the Air Force as well as FEMA Deputy Associate Administrator David Bibo . Their presence today proves that predicting , preparing for , and responding to hurricanes truly takes a whole - of - government approach . This is third day of National Hurricane Preparedness Week , and the first stop of the 2022 Hurricane Awareness Tour . I’m thrilled we’re able to hold this event in person for the first time in over two years . The Commerce Department is fully committed and supportive of NOAA’s mission to study , forecast , and issue watches , warnings , and other decision support for tropical systems in both the Atlantic and Pacific Basins . Severe weather events , especially hurricanes , have a significant economic impact on our country and around the world . Four of the 20 weather and climate related billion - dollar disasters that impacted our country in 2021 were directly caused by hurricane impacts . In fact , last year’s Atlantic hurricane season produced 21 named storms , including seven hurricanes , and four major hurricanes . It was the third most active year on record in terms of named storms; the sixth consecutive above - normal Atlantic hurricane season; and the first time on record that two consecutive hurricane seasons exhausted the list of 21 storm names . The NOAA and Air Force scientists , pilots , and support staff with us today are the heroes that brave these storms to gather mission critical observations that feed directly into NOAA’s models , forecasts , products , and services . These services are then relayed to our partners at FEMA as well as state , territory , Tribal , and local emergency managers , who use this information to make decisions on evacuations and pre - positioning of resources , saving money , time , and ultimately protecting life and property . It’s no mistake that NOAA and the National Weather Service find their home in the Commerce Department . As the nation gears up for another hurricane season , it’s important that all Americans living in the potential paths of these storms , even well inland of the coast , follow NOAA’s guidance for preparation . Determine your risk , develop an evacuation plan , and assemble the disaster supplies that you may need if a disaster strikes . We also know that we need to address the climate crisis . It’s a top priority for the Commerce Department , as well as the entire Biden Administration . In the 1980s , billion - dollar climate disasters occurred in the U . S . an average of every 82 days . Today , that number is just 18 days . We cannot afford to sit on our hands any longer . Just last month , Secretary Raimondo signed a new order that directs the department to prioritize climate considerations in all of our work . And with NOAA leading the way , the Commerce Department has been using every tool at our disposal to address this crisis and related economic impacts . Again , I want to thank NOAA and our inter - agency partners for their work to help prepare American families and businesses as we approach the 2022 hurricane season . Your efforts are saving lives and property every year . With that , let me turn it over to Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator Dr . Rick Spinrad . Bureaus and Offices National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service Leadership Don Graves Tags National Hurricane Center Climate Change
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