Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand are pushing for $33 million in federal funding that would help upgrade weather warning systems across New York and the rest of the U.S.
The Senators represent New York, and are a response to historic, flooding rains which fell after remains of Hurricane Ida moved through the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions.
The observation stations across New York, which are referred to as a mesonet, need urgent upgrades. However, a lack of funding has prevented it. They are asking for approximately $3 million for the University of Albany, which hosts the mesonet.
“What we saw with Hurricane Ida and what we see more and more is that storms change rapidly, varying in course, rainfall and other factors — and we need to keep up with all of it in real time,” Schumer said in a statement.
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