$25 million fix proposed for storm forecasting.

Publication: The Miami Herald (Miami, Florida) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News)

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COPYRIGHT 2005 The Miami Herald

Byline: Debbie Cenziper

Oct. 30--The White House has unveiled a spending proposal that would pump more than $25 million into badly needed hurricane forecasting equipment, saying the "extraordinary investment" is a first step toward strengthening the nation's warning system.

Included in the request are new equipment for hurricane hunter planes, more buoys to track ocean conditions, a redesign of the sensors dropped into storms, repairs to damaged equipment, and most notably, another hurricane hunter plane.

"This request gets us back on track with significant funding for critical repairs and upgrades," said Alex Conant, spokesman for the White House budget office.

The proposal, released late Friday, is part of a $17 billion emergency spending package that now goes to Congress, with the White House earmarking most of the money for assistance and rebuilding along the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast.

But tucked into the proposal are critical fixes to some long-standing gaps in equipment -- and budget officials say it's just the start. Another round of hurricane forecasting requests will be made next year.

"Oh, wow -- this is wonderful news," said Jim McFadden, who helps oversee the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's specially...

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