Meteorologist-In-Charge Michael Emlaw, left, briefs leaders from Charleston Air Force Base during a recent visit to the Charleston, SC, Weather Forecast Office (WFO). WFO Charleston received a special commendation from the Air Force Base for the WFO's support during Hurricane Charley. Lt. Col. William P. Isler Jr., 437th Operations Support Squadron Commander, presented each NWS staff member with a Squadron coin. Isler noted that forty C-17 aircraft are based at Charleston Air Force Base, each valued at $200 million, and described the information WFO Charleston provides as "critical to the safety and security of our country." Emlaw said since the base has seen a significant reduction in its own meteorological staff, "they rely significantly on our forecasts to make major decisions on base safety. Since our office is located near the Air Force Base, we have been able to build a very productive relationship.? Photo by Scott Edwards, Electronic Technician, WFO Charleston, SC.

NWS work doesn't stop after a hurricane passes. Following Hurricane Charley in south Florida, NWS Meteorologists Jody James (left) and Steve Piltz (right), conducted a series of aerial damage surveys and used a laptop computer connected to a Global Positioning System (GPS) to map the flight path. The software time-stamps the aircraft's position on a moving map. The video and digital pictures are also time stamped, so the two can be correlated with the GPS-determined position. This data gathered in-flight can then be used to "map" the estimated hurricane winds that occurred along the aircraft's flight path. James is a private pilot and a Senior Forecaster from Lubbock, TX, Weather Forecast Office (WFO). Piltz is Meteorologist-In-Charge of WFO Tulsa, OK. Photo by Ray Brown, commercial pilot and flight instructor at Airborne Systems in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

WFO Tucson, AZ, Service Hydrologist, Mike Schaffner points out a high water mark well above his head on a tree in Marijilda Canyon near Safford, AZ. WFO Tucson collaborated with the U.S. Geological Survey on a slope-area survey to estimate discharge for this historic flash flood event emanating from the Nuttall Burn area. 1.25 inches of rainfall within 30 minutes created close to a 9000 cubic feet per second peak discharge from an 11-square-mile watershed. Photo by Chris Smith, USGS Arizona Water Resources Data Chief.

Take a look at other NWS news, as submitted for the NOAA Weekly Report.