U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer is calling for a $30 million federal investment in New York State’s Mesonet weather monitoring system, a $10 million increase from last year. The call for additional funding follows a month of severe weather, including Tropical Storm Debby and record-breaking tornadoes in Erie County.

Schumer stressed the importance of modern weather tracking technology to keep people safe, especially in western New York State, where extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. “We need real-time, hyperlocal data to be prepared,” Schumer said, emphasizing the need for cutting-edge systems.

In addition to his support for Mesonet, Schumer is pushing for a more than $100 million increase in funding for NOAA’s satellite program, which provides critical data to the National Weather Service.

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