A Missouri congressman is introducing a bill to completely overhaul how the nation tracks and warns about tornados one year after the deadly May 16th twister in St. Louis.
The tornado's 23-mile path of destruction claimed five lives, causing an estimated $1.6B in damage.
St. Louis City's outdoor warning sirens failed to sound during the storm because the emergency management staff responsible for pressing the buttons were attending an off-site workshop on climate change.
After that: the St. Louis City Fire Department took over the responsibility for triggering the tornado sirens.
Now, Congressman Wesley Bell has introduced the Tornado Preparedness Act to create a national plan to modernize tornado warning systems and fund community storm shelters in high-risk areas, like St. Louis.
Bell's bill also directs the federal agencies to upgrade radar technology by using AI.
In a release, Bell says:
“Not only do we need to continue to support these communities and expedite federal funds, but we must learn from the failures exposed during the storms. We must ensure that every level of government has the most advanced technologies, warning systems, and emergency coordination capabilities in place to warn residents in advance before severe weather strikes.”
Bell says his bill would force federal agencies to upgrade radar technology by using artificial intelligence.
Bell says his bill would force federal agencies to upgrade radar technology by using artificial intelligence.
