Legislation Would Close Gaps in Emergency Alerts, Strengthen Storm Preparedness and Protect the Floridians Most at Risk
WASHINGTON – Congressman Vern Buchanan recently cosponsored the Fixing Gaps in Hurricane Preparedness Act (H.R. 4563), bipartisan legislation led by Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.). The bill ensures hurricane warnings and preparedness tools reach the seniors, people with disabilities and other Floridians most at risk when a storm hits.
“Every hurricane season, lives are lost when emergency warnings either never reach people or are not clear enough to act on,” said Buchanan. “After Helene and Milton, Southwest Florida saw how quickly a storm can turn deadly. Every Floridian deserves a warning they can understand and a plan they can follow. When a storm is coming, no one in our community should be left behind.”
The Fixing Gaps in Hurricane Preparedness Act directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to study how seniors, people with disabilities, non-English speakers and rural and urban communities receive and respond to emergency alerts. NOAA would also evaluate how these groups prepare for hurricanes and tropical storms and, then use those findings to build forecasts, warnings and planning tools that work for the people who rely on them most.
Roughly two-thirds or more of the deaths from Hurricanes Katrina, Florence and Ian were people over the age of 60, and every Central Florida death from Hurricane Dorian was someone between the ages of 56 and 86. In Southwest Florida, where so many retirees call home, closing these gaps can save lives.
The bill’s provisions are included in the bipartisan Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 5089), which advanced out of the House Space, Science and Technology Committee in September 2025. Buchanan is urging Congress to bring the package to the House floor and get it across the finish line.
As Co-Chair of the Florida Delegation and Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, Buchanan has made disaster readiness a priority. This includes the Protecting Hospitals from Disaster Act, bipartisan legislation he introduced with Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) in February to help hospitals and clinics prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters so they can stay open and keep caring for patients when storms hit.
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