This Act reauthorizes and updates U.S. tsunami warning, research, and mitigation efforts by improving data management, expanding geographic coverage, enhancing interagency cooperation, and prioritizing timely public alerts.
Suzanne Bonamici
Representative
OR-1
The Tsunami Warning, Research, and Education Act of 2025 reauthorizes and updates the nation's tsunami warning system to enhance the timeliness and accuracy of alerts. This legislation mandates improvements in data management, expands the geographic scope of coverage, and integrates social and behavioral science into mitigation efforts. It also authorizes specific funding levels through fiscal year 2030 to support these critical upgrades across warning, research, and education programs.
Tsunami Warning Act Gets $32 Million Annual Boost, Requires Faster Alerts and Covers Gulf Coast
The newly titled Tsunami Warning, Research, and Education Act of 2025 isn't just a name change; it's a major upgrade to how the U.S. prepares for and warns about tsunamis. Essentially, this bill reauthorizes the existing program but injects specific, modern requirements focused on speed, technology, and broader geographic coverage.
This update mandates that the warning system prioritize the timeliness of alerts, not just accuracy. It formalizes the use of advanced tech like the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) network alongside existing seismic tools to get faster, more reliable data. If you live or work near the coast, this means the system designed to save your life is getting a serious technological overhaul. For the next five fiscal years (2026 through 2030), the bill authorizes $32,000,000 annually for the program, ensuring these upgrades are funded.
Expanding the Warning Map
Historically, U.S. tsunami warnings focused heavily on the Pacific coast, where most major tsunamis originate. This bill explicitly expands the geographic scope to include the Atlantic, Arctic, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico for areas deemed to pose a significant risk. This is a huge shift. If you run a charter boat business in the Florida Keys or work on an oil rig in the Gulf, the federal warning system is now officially mandated to include you in its operational scope. This expansion is backed up by a requirement to update tsunami inundation maps and models regularly, which is critical for local emergency managers planning evacuation routes and coastal development.
The Human Factor: Testing the Alerts
One of the most interesting additions is the focus on how people actually respond to warnings. The bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to work with social scientists and emergency personnel to evaluate the terminology, timing, and effectiveness of current tsunami alert levels. Ever wonder if the alert levels—like “watch” or “advisory”—actually make sense to the average person? NOAA now has to figure that out and update the system if the alerts aren't triggering the right response. This behavioral research component is also required in the broader research program, which must now dedicate at least eight percent of the annual funding to research, including data collection on human behavior during these events.
Data, Drills, and Dollars for States
Beyond the science, the bill tightens up the system's operational integrity. It mandates that data management meets federal record-keeping standards and requires the warning centers to conduct at least one fail-safe backup drill biannually. This means the system must prove it can still issue warnings even if the primary system goes down. Furthermore, the bill mandates better interagency cooperation, requiring the USGS and NASA to provide real-time data streams to NOAA to ensure quick earthquake assessments. Finally, the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, which funds state-level preparedness, is guaranteed at least 27 percent of the annual appropriation, ensuring that local mitigation efforts—like developing coastal digital elevation models (DEMs) for better mapping—are prioritized.