Congress orders NOAA to restore public disaster-cost database
S. 2775 — Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025 · Filed by Peter Welch (D-VT) · 13 cosponsors · Introduced Sep 11, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create and maintain a public database and webpage tracking major disasters in the U.S. that cause at least $1 billion in damage. The database must be updated at least twice a year and include cost estimates, disaster type, location, dates, and visual maps showing disaster patterns over time—essentially restoring a public tracking tool that NOAA had maintained from 1980 to May 2025 but apparently discontinued.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to restore and mandate public access to disaster cost data. It is a transparency and accountability measure, not a regulatory or appropriations instrument. The mechanism is straightforward: require NOAA to maintain a public database.
What the text implies
- Restoring this database may increase public and media scrutiny of disaster costs and climate impacts, potentially influencing disaster preparedness and climate policy discussions.
- The bill does not appropriate new funding; it relies on NOAA's existing resources and partnerships, which may constrain update frequency or data quality if NOAA lacks capacity.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who it affects
Ordinary citizens and researchers gain transparent, centralized access to disaster cost data that was previously available but is now missing from public view. This supports informed decision-making about climate risk, insurance, and disaster preparedness, and enables accountability for disaster response and recovery spending.