SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS Senator BIBLE. We will stand in recess until the next meeting of the committee, which is at 10 o'clock in the morning. (Whereupon, at 4:50 p.m.. Friday, December 5, the subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene at 10 a.m., Saturday, December 6.) The subcommittee met at 10 a.m., in room S-128, the Capitol, Hon. Robert C. Byrd (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Byrd, Holland, Pastore, Smith, and Allott; also present Senator Brooke. SUBCOMMITTEE PROCEDURE Senator BYRD. The subcommittee will come to order. It is necessary that I be on the floor this morning so I have asked Senator Holland if he would preside in my absence. We have four items under the Department of Commerce and two items under the Coast Guard. I appreciate very much, Senator Holland, the fact that you will assume the Chair this morning. Senator HOLLAND. I understand that the staff of the committee has set up as the first item to be considered, which is certainly agreeable to me, the Nantucket weather ship. During the consideration of the State, Justice, and Commerce regular appropriation bill for fiscal year 1970, there was a discussion on the floor about the need for an appropriation to both the Coast Guard and the Environmental Science Services Administration for the manning and operation of the so-called Nantucket weather ship. This morning we have representatives from both ESSA and the Coast Guard who are prepared to discuss this matter. First of all, I will call on Dr. White. Doctor, will you present your testimony on this item. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE SERVICES ADMINISTRATION STATEMENT OF ROBERT M. WHITE, ADMINISTRATOR ACCOMPANIED BY: LARRY A. JOBE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION GEORGE P. CRESSMAN, DIRECTOR, WEATHER BUREAU GENE T. TRIPLETT, CHIEF, BUDGET PLANNING AND PRESEN- TRACKING AND FORECASTING EAST COAST STORMS AND TROPICAL HURRICANES Dr. WHITE. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I have prepared a statement at your request regarding the need for an ocean station vessel south of New England to assist us in gathering surface weather observational data, upper-air soundings and weather radar information in order to track and forecast east coast storms and tropical hurricanes better. NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN STATION PROGRAM: METEOROLOGICAL BLIND SPOT The United States now maintains four ocean station vessels in the North Atlantic as part of the North Atlantic Ocean station program. An ocean station vessel was operated in the Atlantic about 225 miles south of Nantucket in the years prior to 1954 but was discontinued for economy reasons. With the termination of this vessel, the ocean area south of New England became a meteorological blind area. The need to have weather observations from this area has become increasingly greater as the population has increased along the eastern seaboard and as the economy has become more dependent on technology with the corresponding increase in the need for more accurate weather forecasts and warnings. To cover this area, we need a ship approximately 200 miles southeast of New England equipped to take upper-air soundings of pressure, temperature and wind. These data are essential for our numerical computer calculations of hurricances and east coast storms. Secondly, we need a weather radar on board such a vessel to enable us to provide a detailed hour-by-hour track of the centers of storms and their accompanying precipitation. The surface weather observations from such a vessel would provide additional essential data for use in storm tracking and forecasting. During the winter of 1968, several severe snow storms hit the New England coast. Our investigation of the adequacy of warnings pro vided citizens in New England showed that a weather ship south of Nantucket definitely would have improved the accuracy of forecasts and warnings. The ocean area south of New England is without question a datasparse area and surface, upper-air, and radar observations from a vessel suitably located would be of tremendous value. This concludes my statement, Mr. Chairman. Senator BYRD. We will place your statement in the record. (The statement follows:) Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee. I am Robert M. White, Administrator of the Environmental Science Services Administration. I am here in support of our urgent request for supplemental funds in FY 1970 to restore facilities and services destroyed during Hurricance Camille, as well as for the establishment of new services and facilities required to bring our hurricane and flash flood warnings to a greater state of readiness and service in time for the Atlantic and Gulf hurricance season next summer. The funds are requested now to enable us to have sufficient lead time for procurement and installation of equipment and for the hiring of people before the onset of the hurricane season next June. The supplemental estimates of $4,804,000 include $1,492,000 in the Salaries and Expenses appropriation, $330,000 in the Research and Development appropriation, and $2,982,000 in the Facilities, Equipment, and Construction appropriation. On August 17, hurricane Camille hit the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and the Florida panhandle with winds of 190 miles per hour and tides 15 to 30 feet above normal. This was the most violent and probably the most destructive storm of record to hit the United States mainland. Three days later she was still a deadly storm causing heavy flash flooding in Virginia and adding more than a hundred to her death toll. The latest Red Cross statistics attest to the destructiveness of Camille: 255 deaths with 68 persons still missing; 6001 homes destroyed; 14,364 homes suffered major damage; 1,153 trailer homes lost; 775 small businesses destroyed; 5 trucking terminals lost; 274 vessels sunk or grounded; oil rigs and pipelines smashed; extensive damage to highways, bridges, railways, waterways, and port facilities; and enormous agriculture and cattle losses. Total dollar damage is estimated at $1,420,750,000. In the aftermath of hurricane Camille, the President expressed concern about the adequacy of the warnings and directed that immediate steps be taken to improve our ability to track and warn of hurricanes. As Administrator I immediately ordered a thorough survey of the hurricane warning service in Camille. This survey found that the warning service performed well and saved many thousands of lives. It also pointed up certain deficiencies which this supplemental request is designed to remedy. The supplemental estimates cover three separate appropriation accounts: In Salaries and Expenses we are asking for an increase of $1,492,000. Of this amount $418,000 is needed to restore services destroyed by hurricane Camille. Navigational charts for Gulf coastal areas need to be revised as soon as possible to show the changes in the ocean floor, channels, and coastline caused by the hurricane, and geodetic control in the area must be restored quickly so that reconstruction of highways, bridges, and buildings can be facilitated. If these funds are approved we expect that the revisions and restorations can be accomplished within the next twelve months and our budget will be reduced by this amount as soon as the job is completed. The remaining $1,074,000 in Salaries and Expenses is needed to improve the hurricane warning and flash flood warning services. We do not know when another hurricane as devastating as Camille will occur. We don't know where along the coast from Brownsville, Tex., to Eastport, Me., it will strike. The funds requested will make it possible to improve the accuracy and timeliness of our warnings by increasing staff at the New Orleans Forecast Center, by fully utilizing data from the Applications Technology Satellite of NASA, by increasing the number of weather observations from the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean and island |