WESTPORT - There is a big push to add a piece of weather equipment to the Washington coast. A lot of people living on the coast say they need their own Doppler radar.

Fishermen who use boats at the Westport marina are familiar with rough weather. They know dark clouds may be a sign of rough seas ahead.

But when it comes to weather information on rain and wind, they are often left in the dark.

The only advanced Doppler weather radar in western Washington is on Camano Island. It gives good coverage up and down the I-5 corridor where most of us live, but it can't see much of the coast because the radar beams are blocked by the Olympic Mountains.

Friends of Grays Harbor is one group trying to get the federal government to add a radar station for the coast.

"I don't think there's any question it has the potential to save lives," said R.D. Grunbaum of Friends of Grays Harbor. "I think it has the potential to prevent disaster."

A Doppler radar here would allow meteorologists to see not only what's happening right along the coast, but also up to 300 miles out into the Pacific Ocean. That information would be helpful when it comes to tracking severe weather.

University of Washington Atmospheric Sciences professor Cliff Mass says the lack of weather information led to the failure of the first attempt to rescue the New Clarrisa freighter in 1999.

That oil tanker grounded off the Oregon coast.

Mass thinks a new radar is essential.

"Now in the eastern U.S., they wouldn't accept that (lack of radar coverage)," Mass said. "They have hurricanes and storms coming in ... they can see that happening. We have major storms coming in, some as strong as category 2 or 3 hurricanes, but we cannot see the details of the storms as they approach the coast."

Now the press is on Congress to get $8.5 million to pay for the radar. Radar supporters are optimistic the new station will be included in the next federal budget.