We've gone from zero to 100 people round the table.

Thousands of people have been lost, and [people] continue to be lost today in heavy storms. Yet our numbers are down. So the beneficial change has just been enormous.

We've been able to improve our warning system. Our records on tornado warnings, hurricane warnings, on flood warnings have been improving,

For instance, we're as accurate today on a five-day forecast as we were 15 years ago on a three-day forecast. So that improvement is almost a doubling in the accuracy of forecasting.

It is difficult to make any kind of an accurate prediction of how many of these will strike land, ... But I think statistically you can look at the fact that when seasons are more active, and we have a higher level of hurricanes, you have a higher chance of hurricanes striking the United States.

It would apply to all sorts of efforts like finding energy, water, improving agricultural productivity, and understanding the connection between health and the environment. [It will give us] an enormous advance in our ability to help save lives, and revolutionize the way we deal with severe weather events today.