Austin News

U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and Alex Padilla have introduced new legislation aimed at enhancing the National Weather Service's fog forecasting capabilities. The bipartisan bill, named the Fog Observations and Geographic Forecasting Act (FOG Forecasting Act), seeks to improve safety at U.S. ports and mitigate costly shipping delays caused by dense fog.

Sen. Cruz highlighted the local impact, stating, "In my hometown of Houston, we’ve seen unexpected severe fog occurrences delay goods coming in and out of Port Houston. The FOG Forecasting Act would keep vessels moving safely and swiftly at U.S. ports, benefiting shippers, exporters, and consumers. I’m glad to partner on legislation with Sen. Padilla to help produce more accurate fog forecasts that will reduce collisions between vessels, ensure American cargo reaches its destinations intact and on time, and save millions in economic costs from port closures."

Sen. Padilla emphasized the dangers along the Pacific Coast, noting, "Californians along the Pacific Coast have experienced how unpredictably dense and dangerous the marine layer fog can be. Fog can create hazardous conditions, increasing collision risk for ships transporting essential goods to and from California’s high-volume ports. As communities prepare for and respond to increasingly severe weather patterns, strengthening NOAA’s weather forecasting capabilities is an important bipartisan priority to bolster safer transportation at sea and in the air along our coastlines."

The issue came into sharp focus after significant fog in February disrupted operations at Houston's port, impacting navigation in the Houston Ship Channel for nearly two weeks. Visibility-related challenges contribute to approximately 70% of ship collisions, accentuating the need for effective fog monitoring in maritime operations. Fog-induced closures can impose economic costs exceeding $100 million for each hour a port is shut down.

The proposed legislation mandates the National Weather Service to enhance its marine observations and high-resolution modeling to produce detailed and accurate forecasts. These improvements aim to reduce the uncertainty of fog conditions, allowing ports to reopen more quickly and resume commerce, thereby alleviating economic losses.