- ParkUSA - “NOAA’s Atlas 14: Rainfall Frequency Data,” 2023 Source: Overview of NOAA Atlas 14 coverage and methodology; explanation of lack of future climate scenario modeling in current rainfall estimates

This decision isn’t just shortsighted. It’s a threat to public safety!

Although private companies offer their own climate projections, NOAA remains the national gold standard. Its data is deeply embedded in building codes, zoning laws, and FEMA flood maps. Removing this authoritative public resource doesn’t just create confusion it leaves communities vulnerable.

That gap between reality and planning leads to dangerous and costly failures. The NOAA tool was not an expensive endeavor, and it was close to completion. Still, the Trump administration shut it down part of a broader effort to scale back or dismantle federal climate science programs.

Floods are becoming more frequent and deadly. What used to be considered a “once-in-100-years” storm now hits some areas every 25 years, or even more often. But critical infrastructure like stormwater systems, roads, and bridges is still being built based on outdated assumptions about rainfall.

those products still only reflect past weather. None of them account for how rainfall is shifting in real time due to global warming. The now-canceled Atlas 15 Volume 2 was going to change that by offering forward-looking, climate-adjusted predictions. Without it, cities are left guessing.

This matters because the rainfall data currently in use is outdated. Most of the country still relies on figures from decades ago, some going back to the 1970s or earlier. While some regions have received more recent updates through NOAA’s Atlas 14 (released in phases between 2004 and 2023),

It would have provided local governments, engineers, and planners with a standardized dataset showing how storms are expected to evolve. But this spring, the Commerce Department, now led by Secretary Howard Lutnick, indefinitely suspended the project following a review ordered by the administration.

The Trump admin halted a crucial NOAA program that was nearly complete, one designed to help communities prepare for the threat of extreme rainfall and flooding. The project, known as Atlas 15 Volume 2, was meant to forecast how rainfall patterns would change in the future due to climate change.

This wasn’t a budget-breaking project. It was low-cost and almost finished. This tool would help communities prepare for future extreme rainfall. It’s too important to let die quietly.

That’s doing good work.

Thank you for standing up for all of us.

“I will be fine, but Edgardo is not going to be fine and the rule of law is not fine.” - NYC comptroller Brad Lander speaks after being released by ICE

Find your nearest gathering. Lend your voice, your strength, and be counted. Wherever we stand together, we are stronger. Wherever we show up, we shine light into the darkness. The greater our numbers, the greater our safety. We have friends everywhere.

Who will stand with us on 6/14?

Yes!

Welcome back.

How was the DC rally?