Santa Cruz County, CA, was presented with the StormReady Recognition on November 10, 2004, in the large auditorium at the Santa Cruz County Health Services Administration Building. From left are: Mark Strobin, NWS Lead Forecaster at WFO San Francisco Bay Area; Mike Dever, Santa Cruz County Emergency Services Administrator; and Dave Soroka, WCM at WFO San Francisco Bay Area. Santa Cruz is one of two counties in the state to have achieved StormReady status. Local media (KSBW - NBC8 from Salinas) recorded the ceremony and also followed up with interviews by Mike Dever and Dave Soroka. The story was on the 6 p.m. news that evening. Photo by Chris Hirsch, Santa Cruz County Administrative Analyst.

The Sterling, VA, Weather Forecast Office and Meteorologist-In-Charge Jim Lee recently hosted a tour by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) Forecast Bureau, which included Hong Yoon, Director General of the KMA Forecast Bureau. Youngnan Cohan, of the NWS Office of the Chief Financial Officer, served as Tour Guide and Interpreter.

Lead Forecaster Harry Gerapetritis gives a demonstration to John Campanius Holm Award winner Thomas Karr at the Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, Weather Forecast Office on November 12, 2004. To Karr's right is Data Acquisition Program Manager Terry Benthal. Karr was recognized for his dedication and contributions for 35 years to the Cooperative Observer Program. "Tom's contibutions make it possible for us to have quality weather data from Concord, NC, for our National Weather Service programs, and it is an invaluable resource for the national climatological record," said Benthal.

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