Straight Talk:
Straight Talk: Hurricane Season Begins

Underscoring the critical role the NOAA team plays before, during and after each hurricane season, the announcement of the official 2006 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook on May 22, 2006, prompted a tremendous media response. On television, in print, on the airwaves and online, reporters around the world covered the details of the outlook. But absent from this coverage were the spoken words of appreciation and high praise for NOAA and NWS services.

Beginning the news conference was Deputy Secretary of Commerce David A. Sampson, who told the media we did an "exceptional job last year communicating timely and accurate forecasts to the public," and noted that he, President Bush, and Commerce Secretary Gutierrez all support NOAA's efforts and have "great confidence in the men and women of this agency to provide vital products and services before, during, and after the storm."

Similar accolades were expressed by our Federal partners, including newly confirmed FEMA Director David Paulison. Regarding the Nation's need for storm preparedness, Paulison said, "FEMA can't do it alone...it takes all of us...it takes people like (you) who can predict the storms and tell us where they are going and how intense they are going to be."

You, the NWS staff, are the best in the world and we have an extremely important role in serving America. Our outlook is for another active season, but during this demanding time I am confident we can provide the services this Nation expects, demands, and needs.

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First Tsunami Warning Exercise Conducted for Pacific

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii and the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska were actively engaged in "Exercise Pacific Wave '06," the first-ever Pacific-wide tsunami exercise.

The U.S., 33 other countries, and 12 states and territories participated in the May 16-17 test, which simulated two different earthquakes and provided an opportunity to evaluate the ability of Pacific countries to respond to an ocean-wide tsunami.

Countries in the Pacific tested their operational lines of communications, reviewed their tsunami response procedures, and promoted emergency preparedness. Each country developed specific objectives. Final results will be evaluated by the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System and submitted as a formal report to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Executive Council in late June 2006.

For more information, visit http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/exercise06/, and http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/.

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New Offices Dedicated at Pennsylvania State University's Innovation Park

NWS dedicated a new forecast facility in State College, PA, April 25, 2006.  Located at Pennsylvania State University's Innovation Park, the facility is the new home for the Central Pennsylvania Weather Forecast Office and Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center.

At the dedication ceremony for the new facility, U.S. Rep. John Peterson, noted, "Not a year goes by that Central Pennsylvania isn't affected by major winter storms, rains from hurricanes, dangerous floods, or costly drought.  This new high-tech facility helps ensure the National Weather Service staff is able to continue providing critical weather services to Pennsylvanians - during the worst weather conditions."

"In this new location at Pennsylvania State University's Innovation Park, our staff can collaborate with the country's next generation of brightest young forecasters and scientists, working together with the National Weather Service to find better ways to forecast weather and floods that will help save more lives and property," said retired Brig. General D. L. Johnson, NOAA Assistant Administrator for Weather Services and NWS Director.

During the modernization of the National Weather Service in the 1990s, the agency made a deliberate decision to locate key forecast centers close to universities with strong programs in weather, water and climate sciences.

"When I look around this facility, I see state-of-the-art computer facilities and weather forecasters and hydrologists working using techniques that ten years ago would have been impossible," said Dr. Eric Barron, Dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Pennsylvania State University.

Since 1993, the National Weather Service and Pennsylvania State University have worked closely on numerous projects related to weather and flood forecasting.  Students and faculty also have benefited from the operational perspective provided by NWS forecasters.

"During the past couple of years, National Weather Service staff has been team teaching an upper level Penn State class in operational meteorology and hydrology, a wonderful opportunity for our students.  We at Penn State congratulate you on your new office and look forward to continuing to collaborate with you for many years to come," said Barron.

"This new facility provides an improved environment in which to work and incorporates several energy saving technologies and features.  I applaud the outstanding efforts of the staff that designed the new facility and the entire relocation team.  Throughout the transition the offices did not skip a beat in providing the vital weather, water and climate services need by the public and our customers," said NOAA's Dean Gulezian, Director, National Weather Service, Eastern Region during his presentation at the ceremony.

The NWS State College staffs worked closely with architects to increase operational efficiency and to meet the current and future needs of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and surrounding states with weather, water and climate information.

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NOAA Announces $368 Million Contract with Raytheon Corporation for High Performance Computing

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded a contract to Raytheon Company for high performance computing resources necessary to support continued advances in NOAA's environmental modeling capabilities. Raytheon Information Systems is located in Upper Marlboro, MD.

NOAA expects initial delivery of the distributed high performance computing system in October 2006. The contract consists of a three-year base period, a four-year option period, and a one-year option to provide for contract transition.  The total ceiling value of the contract inclusive of all options is $368 million. 

Read the full NOAA news release here.

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Increased Staff Helps NOAA Reach a Critical Milestone in Tsunami Warning System Expansion

NOAA recently reached an important milestone in expanding the U.S. tsunami warning system and is better equipped to detect a tsunami and alert communities of the impending danger.

Effective April 26, 2006, two tsunami warning centers are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  NOAA's two warning centers, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, in Ewa Beach, HI, and the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, in Palmer, AK, previously depended on staff being available by pager and able to reach the facility within five minutes.  Fifteen employees have been hired to staff the centers at all hours of the day and night.

NOAA Research has also created new tsunami impact forecast models for nine major U.S. coastal communities at high risk for tsunamis.  NOAA's Satellite and Information Service improved the quality and accuracy of the long-term archive of tsunami events.  NOAA's Ocean Service installed nine of 16 new sea-level stations and has upgraded 20 of 33 sea-level stations. NWS has recognized 29 communities as TsunamiReady, a program that helps communities to prepare evacuation plans, enhance communications and heighten awareness of tsunamis for both residents and visitors.  The Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) network has expanded from six to 15 DART buoy stations.  All newly-installed stations are a more robust DART II with advanced two-way satellite communication.  Plans call for the network to total 39 DART II buoy stations by mid-summer 2008 (32 in the Pacific and seven in the Atlantic Basin). 

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WFO Northern Indiana Student Named Honorary Survivor for Cancer Fundraiser

WFO Northern Indiana Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) member Sara Weisser, a Hodgkins Disease survivor, recently served as "Honorary Survivor" representing all others at the 2006 Elkhart County, IN, American Cancer Society Relay for Life. Groups and individuals walk or run laps on a track during the overnight event.

Relay For Life is designed to celebrate survivorship and raise money for research and programs of the American Cancer Society. Participants and supporters remember those that have lost their lives to cancer, those who are still battling and those who have survived.

During the event, teams of people gather at schools, fairgrounds, or parks and take turns walking or running laps to raise money and show their support. Each team tries to keep at least one team member on the track at all times.

Sara Weisser and Northern Indiana Hydrometeorological Technician Earl Breon check a rain gauge.

"Sara was a student volunteer at our office when she learned she had developed Hodgkin's disease, and she stayed in close contact with us throughout her treatment," said Meteorologist-In-Charge Mike Sabones of WFO Northern Indiana. "Not once did I ever see any evidence that Sara let her situation get her down, she remained positive and confident that she would beat this! She is an inspiration to me, and I'm sure her triumph has given hope to others."

Sara's story:

"In the summer of 2004, just after turning 19, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a form of cancer. Although cancer is considered to be a serious disease, I thought of it more as another "bump" in the road that I have to go through in life. I remember the day as if it were yesterday; I drove home from work, parked the car, went out back to where I found my mom grilling some pork chops and dad came up to join. My mom came out without really an introduction and just told me that the doctors called and diagnosed me with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. It didn't even hit me what I had because I was already expecting it and even though I was expecting it, it didn't occur to me at all what was really going on or what would be happening over the next few months. The only thing on my mind at that point was: 1) Can I play in the softball game on Sunday? 2) Can I still go to school in the fall? And 3) Am I going to be bald...awesome!

"As most females my age would just cry over the fact of cutting their hair, a smile just came across my face. I've always wanted to shave my head and this gave me a chance to! Although it was not until my second treatment of chemotherapy that I lost my hair, every morning up to that point I was like a child on Christmas Eve. Every night I went to bed I would get so excited because I figured that would be the day I'd awake and find my hair falling out. It was the second Saturday after my treatments when that finally came true, and it was the coolest thing I think I have ever had happen. I went to work later that morning with the biggest smile on my face ready to show off my new look.

"Summer continued on and then reality struck that I wasn't going to be heading back to Purdue University in the fall as a sophomore. That hurt worse than hearing I had cancer itself. All I could think was that I'll be a year behind and I'll be stuck at home for even longer. Yet, after staying an extra five months at home, it was worth it. Throughout the four months of chemotherapy, I was able to spend more time with my parents, visit friends, continue working at the company I worked for over the summer, and going an extra year at college is turning out to be the best thing I could have asked for. Life was great. I was enjoying it and still am to this day.

"Even though you might be wondering "How can you enjoy life going through all of that?" I just answer, "How can't you?" Even though a person is diagnosed with cancer, you just have to have a good positive attitude and never think negatively. You only have one life so live it the best you can; live as positive as you can with an amazing outlook on life because you never know what tomorrow brings, who you will run into, or who you will affect. You are always an influence to someone, young or old, whether you realize it or not. If I was going to go through all that, I might as well keep a good sense of humor about it. Why not laugh with everything, and make new friends every step of the way with all the doctors, nurses, and everyone else in that hospital? I was so glad that I was the one who was diagnosed with it. If it was anyone in my family or friends or anybody that I knew or even didn't know, I just don't know if they would have handled it the same and I would not want to see them go through it.

"On December 18th, 2004, I finished my last treatment. I had gone through 4 months of chemotherapy and 18 days of radiation, my goal at the beginning of it all in August was to finish my treatments before Christmas, and I did. That was the best Christmas gift I could have ever asked for. Having cancer did not slow me down at all. Even during my month of radiation, I had gone snowboarding about every weekend since the beginning of December and as much as I could before heading back to Purdue just in time for the spring semester to begin in January. Hair or no hair, I didn't care what other students thought. I just allowed them to think what they wanted. Some students could recognize from the texture of my hair what I had been through since they had gone through the same exact thing. I made a lot of new friends and its amazing how people really do not care what you look like on the outside, they care what is on the inside. I was able to share my story with so many students and I only hope I can continue to do so. I have been a survivor now for almost a year and half, and life only keeps getting better.

"I thank God everyday for giving me another chance at life. Through the support of family, friends, and loved ones I have been able to overcome many obstacles and keep going with an amazing, positive outlook on life. I have learned that with His help nothing is impossible."

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Recent NWS Obituaries

Donald Baer, Sr., retired MIC of the Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU) in Miami, FL, and longtime NWS employee, passed away April 17, 2006, at the age of 71 after an extended battle with leukemia.

His combined military and federal career spanned more than 38 years of serving the American people. He was in the Air Force from 1955 until 1963 and was in the Navy reserves for many years thereafter.  He began his NWS career in 1970 as a Meteorological Technician in Jackson, MS, with subsequent assignments starting in 1972 at Waycross, GA, in 1973 at Victoria, TX, and in 1977 at Amarillo, TX.  He satisfied the educational requirements as a meteorologist through Amarillo Junior College and Penn State and in 1985 was promoted to a meteorologist position with the CWSU in Jacksonville, FL. His commitment to duty and detail earned him the selection as the MIC for the CWSU in Miami in 1991.  He retired as MIC of the CWSU at the end of 2000 and moved back to Jacksonville.  He is survived by his wife Barbara, a son Donald, Jr., and a daughter Kristin.

Employee Milestones

• Click here to see NEW APPOINTMENTS/TRANSFERS to NWS through May 31, 2006.
• Click here to see RETIREMENTS/DEPARTURES from NWS through May 31, 2006.
• Click here to see NWS EMPLOYEES ACCOMPLISHMENTS through May 31, 2006.

Snapshots

Click here for a look at photos we've received from around the NWS.