Senate Votes to Reauthorize Cantwell’s National Landslide Preparedness Act

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Last night the U.S. Senate passed legislation reauthorizing the National Landslide Preparedness Act. U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Finance Committee, and Representative Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01) firstintroducedthe bill that established these programs in November 2020, and it wassigned into lawin January 2021. After last night’s Senate passage of the reauthorization, the legislation moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.
“At least 73 landslides occurred in the aftermath of last month’s atmospheric river flooding and storms in the Pacific Northwest,”said Sen. Cantwell.“This bill will extend landslide preparedness programs including early warning systems, expand landslide hazard and risk mapping, and ensure coordination with NOAA’s weather experts to deliver real time information that communities need to stay safe.”
This legislation reauthorizes The National Landslide Preparedness Act of 2021, which:
Landslides kill 25 to 50 people and cause billions of dollars in damages in the U.S. annually,according toUSGS. The National Research Council previously estimated that landslides cause between $1.6 billion and $3.2 billion in damage per year. The national strategy prepared by USGS as directed by the National Landslide Preparedness Act of 2021 identified the need to develop better economic loss estimates for landslide damage.
In addition, these statistics are expected to worsen because of climate change. Moreover, according to USGS, the largest landslide in Earth’s recorded history took place in Washington state, when Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980.
During last month’s series of atmospheric rivers, the Washington Geological Surveyreported73 landslides associated with the weather events.
Sen. Cantwellauthored $3.3 billionin NOAA investments in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to help communities prepare for and adapt to climate change, boost science needed to understand changing weather and climate patterns, and invest in advanced computer technologies that are critical for extreme weather prediction and emergency response. In May 2022, Sen. Cantwell introduced theFire Ready Nation Actto establish a fire weather services program within NOAA. In December 2023, Sen. Cantwellpassed two bipartisan billsout of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation to modernize the nation’s weather communication and radio service to keep communities better informed during intense weather events.
Sen. Cantwell has been outspoken about the importance of weather preparedness and how cuts to the NOAA and the National Weather Service put Americans at risk. In a July 2025 to President Trump, sheunveileda five-point plan to bolster the United States’ weather readiness.
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