Working Together to Save Lives:
IFPS and AHPS Help the NWS Deliver!

When severe storms swept through the Appalachian recently, Eastern Region put two new programs to the test. Here's examples of how the Interactive Forecast Preparation Service (IFPS) and the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction System (AHPS) helped NWS employees and partners at several locations work together to save lives and improve service.

IFPS Saves the Day!

On April 28 a powerful severe thunderstorm and crippling lightning strike interrupted WFO Blacksburg, VA, radar communications. In response, WFO Charleston, WV, launched into service backup and assumed products and services responsibility for the disabled WFO.

Unfortunately, at the time backup services were required, severe weather conditions were also occurring in the WFO Charleston, WV, area of responsibility. In fact, not only was the area under a severe thunderstorm watch, but a significant flash flood event was underway across West Virginia. Thunderstorms were producing near record flash flooding and rapid river flooding.

"IFPS saved the day," said Alan Rezek, Meteorologist-in-Charge (MIC), WFO Charleston. "This was an ‘eight' on a bad-case backup scale of ‘ten.' But, after going through this experience, I am more convinced than ever that IFPS is the way to go, not just for routine products, but for our ability as an agency to provide a good seamless service in all modes of crisis."

IFPS represents a "revolutionary change" in the way that the NWS prepares forecasts and disseminates products. Through IFPS, text, voice, tabular, graphical, and gridded forecast products are all produced from a forecaster-prepared digital database to support a variety of customer interests. IFPS also enables a WFO to automate product generation. Once a database is created, it can be maintained and used to help offices through severe weather scenarios, such as on April 28.

"Since the grids had already been completed for both areas, it was just a matter of translating them to words to get out the forecast packages," said Rezek. "We were able to get a full package out the door by referencing the grids and taking a quick peek at the latest numerical models."

Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service Helps Save a Town

On May 2 and 3, 2002, the Ohio River Forecast Center (RFC) used recently-developed Advanced Hydrologic Predication Service (AHPS) procedures for forecast flooding on the Tug Fork in the Big Sandy River basin in West Virginia. The river rose from five feet to 42 feet in 16 hours.

Accurate precipitation forecasts, a correctly calibrated river forecast model, and a forecast team at the Ohio RFC provided initial forecasts for the Tug Fork at Williamson, WV, with over five hours of lead time to flood stage and 16 hours to flood crest.

"Heavy rains and high water are not uncommon in West Virginia," said Solomon Summer, Eastern Region's Hydrologic Service Division Chief. To address the flooding concerns in West Virginia, the Ohio RFC developed AHPS for its service area in concert with a national AHPS implementation effort.

"These are the type of events we prepare for," said Ron Curtis, hydrologist at the Ohio RFC. Curtis and Hydrometeorological Analysis and Support (HAS) Forecaster Todd Shobe worked the event and provided accurate and timely river forecasts for Williamson, WV.

"The Ohio RFC river forecast for Williamson, was right on the mark, the transition from flash flooding to river flooding went very well," said MIC Alan Rezek. "Accurate forecasts are important to the Williamson residents. The town is protected by a 63-foot flood wall. The lead time to flood stage gave town officials over five hours to close the flood wall and protect the residents and businesses."

The flood wall was constructed to protect the main business and residential sections of Williamson. "Without the lead time to close the flood wall," said Rezek, "over 75 percent of the businesses and 50 percent of the residents would have been flooded."

More information on AHPS can be found at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/ahps/.

President Bush Proclaims Hurricane Awareness Week: May 19-25, 2002

By Presidential Proclamation, May 19-25 is Hurricane Awareness Week. Hurricane Awareness Week is a national campaign designed to educate the public on hurricane hazards and preparedness actions. In partnership with the National Emergency Management Association, NWS has invited each hurricane-impacted state governor and state emergency management director to take part. So far, the states of Alabama, Hawaii, New York, Virginia, Texas, and Florida have agreed to sponsor their own state-wide campaigns in conjunction with the national NWS campaign. The Hurricane Awareness Week web site has now been launched, and is available in both English and Spanish. The "History" link is just one of many new features of this year's site. In the History section and due to be on-line May 19, is a area for viewing historical tracks of all tropical cyclones. Users will be able to sort by zip code, then by time of year and category of storm.

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Central Region Director Kicks Off NOAA Weather Radio Campaign

With Central Region Director Dennis McCarthy as the opening speaker and Kansas Rep. Dennis Moore bringing Congressional support, the Metropolitan Emergency Management Committee (MEMC) of greater Kansas City, MO, kicked off Project Community Alert, a NOAA Weather Radio promotion, with a May 7, 2002, news conference. The goal of the multi-agency promotion is to put 100,000 NOAA Weather Radio receivers in the hands of Kansas City area residents, schools, and businesses.

During the promotion, receiver manufacturer Midland Radio and 35 Price Chopper grocery stores in the eight-county metropolitan area will make NOAA Weather Radio receivers available at a significant discount. The receivers are equipped with Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) technology that allows users to program the radios to receive warning information only for their specific areas.

McCarthy described the NOAA Weather Radio network and its life-saving capabilities during times of severe weather. "With its broadcasts originating from the operations area of local Weather Service offices, NOAA Weather Radio provides the fastest access you can find to severe weather warnings and other critical weather information," McCarthy said.

In his address, Rep. Moore encouraged the assemblage and media audience to purchase one of the discounted receivers at the earliest opportunity, adding that the receivers would make excellent Mother's Day gifts.

Project Community Alert is a multi-year promotion aimed at residents of Cass, Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties in Missouri as well as Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami, and Wyandotte counties in Kansas. May 6-12 was declared "Project Community Alert Week" by city councils and county commissions in communities throughout the eight-county area. Awareness-raising activities planned throughout the week include school presentations, Weather Radio demonstrations, business weather hazard surveys, and media events.

Follow these links for the event's news releases:
• http://www.nws.noaa.gov/pa/projectcommunityalert.html
• http://www.marc.org/archives/projectcommunityalert.htm

National Data Buoy Center Hosts Children at Work

The National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) celebrated "Take Your Child to Work Day" on April 25, 2002, at Stennis Space Center, MS. NDBC's Tina Reid was the program leader. Stennis Space Center Resident Agencies including the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), U.S. Geological Service, Environmental Protection Agency's Gulf of Mexico Program, U.S. Treasury, and Environmental Protection Agency participated on the program team. Almost 60 government and contractor children from the participating agencies attended the day-long activities. The children, led by volunteer government and contractor staff, participated in tours of NDBC and USGS, an NRL presentation, attended a performance of "Oh My Stars, We're On Mars," viewed a short film on Mars, and experienced all the displays and activities of the Stennis Sphere (SSC Visitors' Center). A pizza and pop lunch was provided to all the children participating. Click here for photos of the event.

The NWS co-sponsored a Women in Science Conference on May 1, 2002, at the University of Wyoming in Laramie to showcase women scientists to school children. This fourth annual event was the result of a successful public/private partnership with the Laramie County School District 1, the Wyoming-NASA Space Grant Consortium, the Wyoming Student Loan Corporation, and several private organizations.

"This is a really big event for us," said Bill Parker MIC of WFO Cheyenne, WY. "This conference showcases role models and interests students in the pursuing of science education, particularly young women. Every 7th-12th grade student [male and female] in Wyoming was invited to attend this forum and we had a huge turnout." More than 200 students attended the free event.

During this day-long event, students visited college science labs and classrooms, attended panel discussions, and met women role models from the fields of biology, physics, robotics, and meteorology. "The students were exposed to a variety of science disciplines," said Parker. "We wanted to broaden kids' horizons and get them seriously thinking about a career in the sciences." The keynote speech was given by NESDIS Meteorologist Ida Hakkarinen, a leader in environmental satellite services, who previously worked on the NWS's AWIPS team.

For more information and photos from the event, go to: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/cys/wis/2002/AnnualProgram/index.html.

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NWS Lauded for Outstanding Service

On May 5, 2002, David Nicosia, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the Binghamton, NY, forecast office, accepted an award on behalf of the NWS for 20 years of outstanding service to the Chemung Basin's Flood Warning Service (FWS). The FWS is a volunteer organization that helps prepare communities with a high flood risk in the Chemung Basin for future flooding. The FWS also helps disseminate NWS flood warnings to the communities and emergency responders and help municipalities determine the impacts of flooding in their jurisdictions.

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Tell ‘Em, Tell ‘Em, and Tell ‘Em Again--Tips for Successful Presentations

John Ferree, Team Leader for the Warning Decision Training Branch in Norman, OK, offers tips to help improve employee presentation skills and slide development. Ferree says that as part of his job he develops presentations and attends many NWS employee presentations at meetings and conferences. "Most of our presentation are very professional, but we can always use a few presentation tips," he said. Ferree has collected presentation tips over the past few years. Follow this link to review Ferree's top tips. The Editors at NOAA's NWS Focus suggest adding these tips to your communication tool box.

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Also On the Web...

• Weather Channel Programming Changes Highlighted. According to a recent article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution there's a "Change in the air at the Weather Channel" because fewer people are watching and executives are looking for ways to woo viewers back.
  
  
• Human Resources Website Gets a Facelift. The Department of Commerce's (DOC's) Office of Human Resources Management has launched a redesigned web site. The site presents information targeted to all DOC managers and employees, including links to more bureau-specific information. Check it out at http://ohrm.doc.gov.