---
kind: "section"
citation: "33 U.S.C. § 3204"
title: "33"
title_heading: "Navigation and Navigable Waters"
number: "3204"
heading: "National tsunami hazard mitigation program"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/33/3204"
units:
  - "Chapter 45 — Tsunami Warning and Education"
---

# §3204. National tsunami hazard mitigation program

- (a) **Program required—** The [Administrator](/usc/33/3201.md?p=2), in coordination with the [Administrator](/usc/33/3201.md?p=2) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the heads of such other agencies as the [Administrator](/usc/33/3201.md?p=2) considers relevant, shall conduct a community-based tsunami hazard mitigation [program](/usc/33/467.md?p=11) to improve tsunami preparedness and resiliency of at-risk areas in the United States and the territories of the United States.
- (b) **Coordinating committee—** In conducting the [program](/usc/33/467.md?p=11) under this section, the [Administrator](/usc/33/3201.md?p=2) shall establish a coordinating [committee](/usc/33/3301.md?p=3) comprising representatives of Federal, State, local, and tribal government officials. The [Administrator](/usc/33/3201.md?p=2) may establish subcommittees to address region-specific issues. The [committee](/usc/33/3301.md?p=3) shall—
  - (1) recommend how funds appropriated for carrying out the [program](/usc/33/467.md?p=11) under this section will be allocated;
  - (2) ensure that areas described in [section 3203(c) of this title](/usc/33/3203.md?p=c) in the United States and its territories can have the opportunity to participate in the [program](/usc/33/467.md?p=11);
  - (3) provide recommendations to the National Weather Service on how to improve the TsunamiReady [program](/usc/33/467.md?p=11), particularly on ways to make communities more tsunami resilient through the use of inundation maps and other mitigation practices; and
  - (4) ensure that all components of the [program](/usc/33/467.md?p=11) are integrated with ongoing hazard warning and risk management activities, emergency response plans, and mitigation [programs](/usc/33/467.md?p=11) in affected areas, including integrating information to assist in tsunami evacuation route planning.
- (c) **Program components—** The [Program](/usc/33/467.md?p=11) conducted under [subsection (a)](#a) shall include the following:
  - (1) Technical and financial assistance to coastal [States](/usc/33/701h.md), territories, tribes, and local governments to develop and implement activities under this section.
  - (2) Integration of tsunami preparedness and mitigation [programs](/usc/33/467.md?p=11) into ongoing State-based hazard warning, resilience planning, and risk management activities, including predisaster planning, emergency response, evacuation planning, disaster recovery, hazard mitigation, and community development and redevelopment planning [programs](/usc/33/467.md?p=11) in affected areas.
  - (3) Coordination with other Federal preparedness and mitigation [programs](/usc/33/467.md?p=11) to leverage Federal investment, avoid duplication, and maximize effort.
  - (4) Activities to promote the adoption of tsunami resilience, preparedness, warning, and mitigation measures by Federal, State, territorial, tribal, and local governments and nongovernmental entities, including educational and risk communication [programs](/usc/33/467.md?p=11) to discourage development in high-risk areas.
  - (5) Activities to support the development of regional tsunami hazard and risk assessments. Such regional risk assessments may include the following:
    - (A) The sources, sizes, and other relevant historical data of tsunami in the region, including paleotsunami data.
    - (B) Inundation models and maps of critical infrastructure and socioeconomic vulnerability in areas subject to tsunami inundation.
    - (C) Maps of evacuation areas and evacuation routes, including, when appropriate, traffic studies that evaluate the viability of evacuation routes.
    - (D) Evaluations of the size of populations that will require evacuation, including populations with special evacuation needs.
    - (E) Evaluations and technical assistance for vertical evacuation structure planning for communities where models indicate limited or no ability for timely evacuation, especially in areas at risk of near [shore](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=4) generated tsunami.
    - (F) Evaluation of at-risk ports and harbors.
    - (G) Evaluation of the effect of tsunami currents on the foundations of closely-spaced, coastal high-rise structures.
  - (6) Activities to promote preparedness in at-risk ports and harbors, including the following:
    - (A) Evaluation and recommendation of procedures for ports and harbors in the event of a distant or near-field tsunami.
    - (B) A review of readiness, response, and communication strategies to ensure coordination and data sharing with the Coast Guard.
  - (7) Activities to support the development of community-based outreach and education [programs](/usc/33/467.md?p=11) to ensure community readiness and resilience, including the following:
    - (A) The development, implementation, and assessment of technical training and public education [programs](/usc/33/467.md?p=11), including education [programs](/usc/33/467.md?p=11) that address unique characteristics of distant and near-field tsunami.
    - (B) The development of decision support tools.
    - (C) The incorporation of social science research into community readiness and resilience efforts.
    - (D) The development of evidence-based education guidelines.
  - (8) Dissemination of guidelines and standards for community planning, education, and training products, [programs](/usc/33/467.md?p=11), and tools, including—
    - (A) standards for—
      - (i) mapping products;
      - (ii) inundation models; and
      - (iii) effective emergency exercises; and
    - (B) recommended guidance for at-risk port and harbor tsunami warning, evacuation, and response procedures in coordination with the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
- (d) **Authorized activities—** In addition to activities conducted under [subsection (c)](#c), the [program](/usc/33/467.md?p=11) conducted under [subsection (a)](#a) may include the following:
  - (1) Multidisciplinary vulnerability assessment research, education, and training to help integrate risk management and resilience objectives with community development planning and policies.
  - (2) Risk management training for local officials and community organizations to enhance understanding and preparedness.
  - (3) In coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, interagency, Federal, State, tribal, and territorial intergovernmental tsunami response exercise planning and implementation in high risk areas.
  - (4) Development of practical applications for existing or emerging technologies, such as modeling, remote sensing, geospatial technology, engineering, and observing [systems](/usc/33/3602.md?p=8), including the integration of tsunami sensors into Federal and commercial submarine telecommunication cables if practicable.
  - (5) Risk management, risk assessment, and resilience data and information services, including—
    - (A) access to data and products derived from observing and detection [systems](/usc/33/3602.md?p=8); and
    - (B) development and maintenance of new integrated data products to support risk management, risk assessment, and resilience [programs](/usc/33/467.md?p=11).
  - (6) Risk notification [systems](/usc/33/3602.md?p=8) that coordinate with and build upon existing [systems](/usc/33/3602.md?p=8) and actively engage decisionmakers, State, local, tribal, and territorial governments and agencies, business communities, nongovernmental organizations, and the media.
- (e) **No preemption with respect to designation of at-risk areas—** The establishment of national standards for inundation models under this section shall not prevent [States](/usc/33/701h.md), territories, tribes, and local governments from designating additional areas as being at risk based on knowledge of local conditions.
- (f) **No new regulatory authority—** Nothing in this chapter may be construed as establishing new regulatory authority for any Federal agency.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 109–424, § 5, Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 2906; Pub. L. 109–479, title VIII, § 805, Jan. 12, 2007, 120 Stat. 3657; Pub. L. 115–25, title V, §§ 505(a), (b), 512(a), Apr. 18, 2017, 131 Stat. 121, 128.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Pub. L. 109–424 and title VIII of Pub. L. 109–479 enacted substantially identical sections. Pub. L. 109–424 was repealed by section 512(a) of Pub. L. 115–25.

### Amendments

2017—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–25, § 505(a), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Administrator, through the National Weather Service and in consultation with other relevant Administration offices, shall conduct a community-based tsunami hazard mitigation program to improve tsunami preparedness of at-risk areas in the United States and its territories.”

Subsecs. (c) to (f). Pub. L. 115–25, § 505(b), added subsecs. (c) to (f) and struck out former subsecs. (c) and (d) which related to program components and provided a savings clause, respectively.