NOAA Hurricane Season Forecast On the Mark

The NOAA 2003 Atlantic Hurricane Season forecast was right on target in predicting an above-normal hurricane season. Of 14 tropical storms, seven of the storms became hurricanes and three were major hurricanes (Fabian, Isabel, and Kate). Six of the named systems affected the United States, bringing high wind, storm surge, or rain.

Read the details in NOAA’s news release.

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DART Buoys Provide First Real-Time Tsunami Measurement

NOAA’s Deep-Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) system hit the bull’s eye on November 16, 2003, when it detected a small tsunami generated by an earthquake near Adak, AK.

A report from NWS Alaska Region Headquarters noted this was the first time the DART system was able to capture tsunami data in real-time since going operational in October 2003. The system is designed to be triggered into a rapid data-gathering mode by a strong earthquake’s seismic waves, and then monitor and transmit real-time ocean surface data to NOAA’s Tsunami Warning Centers in Palmer, AK, and Honolulu, HI.

In this event, the DART system nearest to the earthquake epicenter was triggered by the earthquake at 9:45 p.m. (Alaska Standard Time) and captured the tsunami arrival at 10:50 p.m. The amplitude of the small tsunami measured by the DART system confirmed expectations of the scientists on duty at the Tsunami Warning Centers and allowed the Tsunami Warning to be canceled very early in the warning process.

“Rapid confirmation that damaging tsunami waves have not been generated is equally important as warnings of damaging tsunami waves, eliminating the need for unnecessary, disruptive, and expensive evacuations,” said Paul Whitmore, Scientist-In-Charge of the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center.

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NWS Employees Volunteer as Recruiters

By Marilu Trainor
NOAA NWS Western Region

More than half of the Department of Commerce’s newest recruiters represent various parts of the National Weather Service. In late July, NWS employees were invited to participate in the Department of Commerce's request to become recruiters and market the U.S. Department of Commerce to potential job applicants, especially college students. Recruiters will attend job fairs and colleges with an emphasis toward minority institutions.

According to Debby Hall, Senior Human Resources Advisor at Commerce, “The new recruiters are outgoing, energetic, and enjoy talking to people. Those selected will serve as Departmental recruiters for the next two years. The new recruiters offer expertise in mission critical occupations employed within the Department such as economics, accounting, international business, fishery biology, patent examining, physical science, statistics, information technology, meteorology, hydrology, and others.”

The NWS recruiters include: Meteorologist Mary Fairbanks (NWS Headquarters); Equal Employment Opportunity Program Specialist Hope Hasberry (NWS Headquarters); Western Region Headquarters (WRH) Deputy Director Jim Campbell and WRH EEO Program Manager Shelley Heaps; Service Hydrologist Sherrie Hebert (WFO Pocatello, ID); Senior Forecaster John Juskie (WFO Sacramento, CA); Forecaster Louis Giordano (WFO Pittsburgh, PA); Forecaster Brandon Locklear (WFO Raleigh, NC); Hydrologist Victor Hom (Northeast River Forecast Center, Taunton, MA); Meteorologist Patricia Wallace (National Hurricane Center, Miami, FL); and Senior Forecaster Scott Whittier (WFO Burlington, VT).

The new class of recruiters attended an initial one-day recruiter training session September 11, 2003, in Washington, DC, and will attend an additional session in the future. The recruiters learned a large number of Commerce employees are eligible to retire between now and 2008. The training also gave recruiters an overview of today’s Federal employment picture and the need to “aggressively” recruit people into the government, said WR Deputy Director Jim Campbell. The training also covered recruiting “do’s and don’ts” and the Commerce Department’s overall recruitment and retention plan.

“I was part of a team that attended a job fair at the Society for Advancement of Chicano and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) in October,” said Campbell. “We explained to the students and faculty attending the job fair about the Department, its mission, bureaus, the variety of employment opportunities, and how to locate and apply for jobs. What we are learning will also help NOAA and the National Weather Service achieve recruiting goals.”

Heaps added, “I gain a real sense of accomplishment working with students and helping them seek employment opportunities. Being a recruiter for the Department of Commerce was fun because people are surprised to find out how diverse we are as an agency. I was able to help many students majoring in a wide variety of subjects learn about the agency. They were studying economics, biology, meteorology, finance, physics, and more. These are all fields we need future staff and the students are eager to hear our message.”

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NWS Bolsters Relationship with Emergency Managers at IAEM Conference and Expo

An international gathering of emergency managers recently learned details of new NWS products and services and heard a summary of support provided by NWS Southern Region following the Space Shuttle Columbia explosion.

The 51st Annual International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Conference and Emergency Management and Homeland Security Expo (EMEX 2003) was held from November 14-20, 2003, at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, FL.

NWS Southern Region Director Bill Proenza's presentation focused on how the NWS provided local site-specific weather support to local, state, and federal emergency management agencies following the explosion of the Space Shuttle Columbia. He stressed the rapid response of the NWS Space Flight Meteorology Group, the Southern Region Operations Center, Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs), and River Forecast Centers in providing real-time weather data and forecasts supporting recovery operations. Within three hours of the accident, Southern Region personnel provided downloadable radar imagery on the web. This radar imagery was used by major media outlets such as CBS, USA Today, and the New York Times. Over the three days following the event, NWS radar imagery on the Southern Region server received 44 million hits.

The second presentation focused on updates of NWS products and services and StormReady by Ted Buehner, NWS Seattle Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM); Dan McCarthy, Storm Prediction Center WCM; and Steve Kuhl, National WCM Program Manager at NWS Headquarters.

Buehner covered new NWS products and services offered to the emergency management community. His presentation focused primarily on the National Digital Forecast Database and how emergency managers may use gridded data. Other products and services discussed were the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, All-Hazard NOAA Weather Radio, and the NWS Spot Forecast Program.

McCarthy focused on how emergency managers can access the Storm Prediction Center’s (SPC’s) forecasting tools and parameters in support of severe weather operations and recovery. He stressed the NWS Outlook, Watch, Warning (Ready, Set, Go) paradigm toward severe weather preparedness and warning, and provided a web demonstration of SPC products.

Kuhl explained the benefits of the NWS StormReady Program and stressed the importance of having local WCMs and WFOs develop close working relationships with local emergency managers.

The NWS also hosted an outreach booth at the EMEX 2003 Homeland Security Expo which was staffed by Florida WCMs Dennis Decker (WFO Melbourne), Dan Noah (WFO Tampa), and Jim Lushine (WFO Miami) with help from their office staff.

“Most of the Emergency Managers that visited the NWS booth already knew who their local WCMs were, and said they had good working relationships with their local WFO,” said Decker. “It was nice to see that our WCM outreach efforts are making a difference with the emergency management community.”

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Flexible Spending Account Open Season and Contribution Limit Extended

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has increased the total amount that can be contributed to Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) in 2004, and the open season for FSAs was extended an extra week.

The FSA open season now ends on December 15, 2003. Previously, federal employees could contribute up to a limit of $3,000 per year; OPM has increased the limit for 2004 to a maximum of $4,000. Follow this link for more information on FSAs.

The open season for the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) program is not affected by FSA date change; as originally announced, FEHB open season closes on December 8, 2003. Follow this link for FEHB information.

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Also On the Web...NOAA Magazine

NOAA Magazine, a monthly web page that offers in-depth coverage of NOAA news topics, offers a lead story on “NOAA and the Agricultural Sector.” Access the NOAA Magazine by clicking here.

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Employee Milestones

• Click here to see NEW APPOINTMENTS/TRANSFERS to NWS through November 30, 2003.
• Click here to see RETIREMENTS/DEPARTURES from NWS through November 30, 2003.

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