"There’s a barrage of these kinds of catastrophic events, and getting the best available science and information to the folks who make critical decisions, especially in a way that they can easily use, is incredibly important for reducing human suffering and economic losses," Becker said.

Becker and his collaborators developed an early warning system to protect critical infrastructure from storms. His project’s funding was eliminated in April. Without it, coastal communities will be more vulnerable when damaging hurricanes and nor’easters make landfall.