Tropical Storm Allison Service Assessment To Begin

A Service Assessment team has been assembled for the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Allison and will arrive in Houston to begin work on June 18, 2001. The NWS routinely performs evaluations, called Service Assessments, of its warning and forecast performance after catastrophic weather-related events that have a major economic impact on a large area or population, produce multiple fatalities or numerous serious injuries, or spark an unusually high level of public or media interest. The latest reports put the death toll in the Houston to Beaumont area at 22, with damage estimates over $1 billion. The impact in Harris County (Houston) has been devastating. In addition to the numerous fatalities, over 16,000 homes and business were damaged, 10,000 families were displaced, thousands of vehicles were submerged, public transportation was halted, hundreds of flights to Houston were cancelled, more than 100,000 people lost telephone service, and 21,000 homes were without power. Twenty-eight Southeast Texas counties were declared federal disaster areas by President Bush.

The Service Assessment team, composed of experts from within and outside the NWS, will produce a report that explains what happened, details NWS actions before, during, and after the event, and recommends changes in NWS policy, procedures, products, and/or services, if necessary to improve performance and emulate best practices. Samples of past Service Assessment reports are available on the web at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/assessments/index.shtml.

Larry Mooney, MIC of the Boulder, CO, forecast office will be leading the team. The other team members are Peter Gabrielson, Deputy Chief, Hydrologic Services Division, Eastern Region Headquarters; Ken Graham, MIC, Corpus Christi, TX; Ron Trumbla, Public Affairs Specialist, Southern Region Headquarters; John Feldt, HIC of the Southeast River Forecast Center, Peachtree City, GA; Jeff Orrock, MIC, Newport, NC; Julie Adolphson, SOO, Syracuse, IN; and Kevin Stewart, Chair, National Hydrologic Warning Council, Denver, CO. The team facilitator will be William Lerner, assisted by Linda Kremkau, both of the Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services, NWS Headquarters.

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New Accessibility Checklist Required for Information Technology Purchases

With new information technology accessibility rules taking effect June 21, 2001, NOAA has provided a checklist and guidance to help with ensuring that procurements meet the new standards.

NOAA's Acquisition and Grants office recently issued an acquisition alert regarding the implementation of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 1998 amendments, which become effective June 21, 2001. This memo included specific guidance on implementing Section 508 compliance for all acquisition and contract requirements. Section 508 requires that electronic and information technology such as PC's, other computers, fax and copy machines, electronic kiosks, the development of web pages, and software written for applications used by the public, etc., must be procured/acquired/developed to meet the accessibility standards in Section 508.

Procurement offices will be responsible for ensuring (in coordination with program offices) equipment purchased is accessible by persons with disabilities or has the capability to utilize software/systems to make them accessible if needed by a person with disabilities. For example, PC's must be capable of running screen reader software (e.g., have a compliant operating system which supports common screen readers) for blind or visually impaired persons. "This does not mean, however, that every PC purchased must have the screen reader software or hardware installed on it," said Carl Staton, NWS Chief Information Officer, "only that the it have the capability."

NOAA's memo also included a checklist for use by program and project offices to determine whether Section 508 applies to a particular acquisition. This checklist, available on the NOAA Office of Finance and Administration web site, provides the guidance needed for making an accurate determination on whether Section 508 guidelines apply to an acquisition. NWS employees may refer questions regarding applicability of the standard, the checklist, or web page compliance to Ms. Brenda Taylor (Brenda.Taylor@noaa.gov) or Mark Rew (Mark.Rew@noaa.gov).

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On June 1, the NWS joined local officials and residents of Caribou, ME, to mark the groundbreaking of a new Weather Forecast Office at the Caribou Municipal Airport.

"Few areas of the country are more attuned to the weather than Maine and now, with a modernized weather forecast office, this area will have the best weather services our country has to offer," said Dean Gulezian, director of NWS's Eastern Region. Representing the NWS at the ground breaking ceremony were Gulezian and Caribou MIC Larry Garbric. They were joined by Congressman John E. Baldacci and representatives of Senators Olympia J. Snow and Susan M. Collins, in addition to Caribou Mayor Phillip Bennett and Maine Adjutant General and Commissioner Joseph Tinkham. Follow this link to view a photo of the groundbreaking and a comparison of present and future facilities in Caribou.

The new office's area of responsibility includes the counties of Aroostook, Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, and Washington where aviation, fire, marine, severe weather, and general weather forecasts are provided. Construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2002.

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On June 14, 2001, a ceremony was held during the Idaho Governor's Conference in Coeur d' Alene for Emergency Management to recognize 10 counties and 39 communities for a total of 49 StormReady jurisdictions in the state. Thanks to the efforts of Warning Coordination Meteorologists Carl Weinbrecht (Boise), Ken Holmes (Spokane), and Vern Preston (Pocatello), the state will claim the most StormReady counties or communities awarded at one time. Idaho also leads the Nation with the greatest number of recognitions per state. Greg Mandt, Director of Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services and Western Region Deputy Director Jim Campbell spoke at the ceremony and presented the StormReady certificates and road signs.

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The Check's In the Mail-But When?

NOAA Human Resources shared the following link with us. It's a link to an IRS web page that answers many frequently asked questions about the upcoming tax rebates, or "2001 Advanced Payments," as they are officially known. It includes information on how much your payment is likely to be, as well as when it will be mailed. The payments will be mailed on a schedule based on recipient social security numbers, and the schedule is listed on the site.

Follow this link to the IRS "2001 Advance Payments Information" page. Our thanks to NOAA Human Resources!

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NWS Forecaster Conquers Mount McKinley

Sterling, VA, WFO Lead Forecaster James Wiesmueller and five mountain climbing partners reached the summit of Mount McKinley on June 4, 2001, following a 17-day climb. At a peak elevation of 20,320 feet, McKinley in the Alaskan Range is North America's highest mountain.

"For me it was a moment of supreme personal triumph, and one of the great thrills of my life," said Wiesmueller in an e-mail message to friends. "It was unquestionably the most difficult climb I have ever done, an enormous physical and emotional drain. Hauling heavy gear up to the next camp, then back down to sleep (carry high, sleep low to acclimatize), then carry to the

next higher camp, set up camp and build protective snow walls around the tents, and so on day after day. All the while thoughts ranging from hopeful optimism to anguish and despair as defeat seemed to close in," said Wiesmueller.

Conditions when the team reached the summit were a "balmy" temperature of -5^oF, wind from the west at 10 mph ("a rarity at this elevation"), brilliant sunshine, with clear sky above and a cloud layer below.

According to Wiesmueller's message, the climbers had to battle fierce winds and whiteout conditions from 11,000 to 13,500 feet and again at high camp at 17,200 feet, but for the most part the mountain was "very kind" with many spectacular sunny, mild days (temperatures hovering in the 20s), and light winds. Coldest temperatures ranged from -20^oF to -25^oF at night. "The camps were like close knit little tent villages with a friendly camaraderie among climbers from many nations. In all, I counted 20 countries represented."

After reaching the summit the climbers headed down and returned to base camp in only two days. "It is difficult to find words that adequately describe the incredible beauty of that place and of the view which stretched for hundreds of miles in all directions," Wiesmueller added.

Mount McKinley, increasingly known by its native name Denali, is the highest peak in North America. For more information visit the National Park Service web site at http://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm.

A few photos from the climb can be seen by following this link.

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Public-Private Partnerships in Weather and Climate Services to be Studied

NOAA has commissioned the National Academy of Sciences' (NAS') National Research Council to perform a study on the role of government in the digital age, with particular emphasis on the respective roles of governments - including State and local governments - the private sector and the academic research communities. Weather and climate extremes have profound impacts on the United States; weather and climate information is essential to prepare for and minimize these impacts. The provision of weather and climate services in this nation has evolved from an almost exclusive governmental function to one carried out by a combination of public sector, private sector, and academic entities. This change has resulted in better weather services for the United States. It has also raised questions about the proper roles and missions of the various players and the potential for actual or perceived conflict among the providers. This study will examine the current roles and missions of the public, private, and academic sectors in providing weather and climate services; the barriers to communication among the sectors; and opportunities for improving service in each of the sectors to serve the public interest. It will also examine weather and climate information sharing policies in the Internet age. The NAS is presently contacting prospective panelists, and the study is expected to take 12 to 18 months.

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