Public Information Statement: New NWS River Flood Outlook

NOUS41 KWBC 311747
PNSWSH

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 01-57
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1245 PM EST WED OCT 31 2001

TO: FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS
WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/ SUBSCRIBERS...
OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS AND
PARTNERS...NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM: THOMAS GRAZIANO
CHIEF...SERVICES BRANCH...HYDROLOGIC SERVICES DIVISION

SUBJECT: NEW SIGNIFICANT RIVER FLOOD OUTLOOK PRODUCT...EFFECTIVE
NOVEMBER 1 2001

...THIS NEW GRAPHICAL PRODUCT IS NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON NOAA
WEATHER WIRE SERVICE...

THIS NOTICE UPDATES EARLIER SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES /SCN/ 01-40...
SCN01-52...AND SCN01-55

ON NOVEMBER 1 2001 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL BEGIN
OPERATIONALLY ISSUING A NEW GRAPHICAL SIGNIFICANT RIVER FLOOD
OUTLOOK PRODUCT. THIS PRODUCT WILL IDENTIFY AREAS ACROSS THE
NATION WHERE THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT RIVER FLOODING
OVER THE SUBSEQUENT FIVE DAYS.

SIGNIFICANT FLOODING IS DEFINED AS FLOODING THAT ADVERSELY
AFFECTS ROADS...RESIDENTIAL...COMMERCIAL...INDUSTRIAL...AND/OR
AGRICULTURAL AREAS AND MAY REQUIRE THE EVACUATION OF PEOPLE
AND/OR LIVESTOCK. THE OUTLOOK WILL FOCUS ON FLOODING ALONG
RIVERS AND WILL NOT ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING.

THIS PRODUCT IS INTENDED TO ALERT EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND OTHERS
THAT A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT RIVER FLOODING EXISTS. OFFICIAL
FLOOD WARNINGS AND FORECASTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ISSUED BY THE
WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES /WFO/.

A NATIONAL MAP SHOWING FLOOD POTENTIAL FOR THE CONTIGUOUS 48
STATES...BASED ON OUTLOOKS PROVIDED BY RIVER FORECAST CENTERS
/RFCS/...WILL BE ASSEMBLED BY THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION
CENTER OF THE NATIONAL CENTERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTION. THE
NATIONAL MOSAIC WILL BE DISSEMINATED OVER THE SATELLITE BROADCAST
NETWORK /SBN/ [WMO HEADER: PENJ88 KWNH...AWIPS ID: RBGWNH]...THE
FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/...THE EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER
INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/ [PRODUCT NAME: GPHJ88US.GIF]...AS
WELL AS THE INTERNET. THE WEB-BASED NATIONAL MOSAIC WILL PROVIDE
AN ENTRY POINT FOR USERS SEEKING MORE DETAILED HYDROLOGIC
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY RIVER FORECAST CENTERS AND WEATHER
FORECAST OFFICES.

ALL RIVER FORECAST CENTERS COVERING THE CONTIGUOUS 48 STATES AND
ALASKA WILL ALSO PROVIDE VIA THE INTERNET A SIGNIFICANT RIVER
FLOOD OUTLOOK FOR THEIR AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY.

THE FLOOD OUTLOOK COVERING ALASKA WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE ON THE
INTERNET.

THESE FLOOD OUTLOOKS WILL BE AVAILABLE EACH DAY AT APPROXIMATELY
4 PM EASTERN TIME.

OUTLOOKS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT /USE LOWER CASE/:

NATIONAL MOSAIC

http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/nationalfloodoutlook

ALASKA-PACIFIC RIVER FORECAST CENTER

http://akrfc.arh.noaa.gov/maps/fop.html

ARKANSAS-RED RIVER FORECAST CENTER

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/abrfc/fop/abrfcfop.html

CALIFORNIA-NEVADA RIVER FORECAST CENTER

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/cnrfc/fop.htm

COLORADO BASIN RIVER FORECAST CENTER

http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/fop/fop.cgi

LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER FORECAST CENTER

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfc/fop

MIDDLE ATLANTIC RIVER FORECAST CENTER

http://marfchp1.met.psu.edu/fop

MISSOURI RIVER FORECAST CENTER

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mbrfc/fop.html

NORTH-CENTRAL RIVER FORECAST CENTER

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ncrfc/flood_outlooks/fop.html

NORTHEAST RIVER FORECAST CENTER

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/er/nerfc/fop

NORTHWEST RIVER FORECAST CENTER

http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/fop.html

OHIO BASIN RIVER FORECAST CENTER

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/er/ohrfc/fop.htm

SOUTHEAST RIVER FORECAST CENTER

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/serfc/fop

WEST GULF RIVER FORECAST CENTER

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/wgrfc/fop/wgrfcfop.html

INFORMATION ON THE ROLL OUT OF THIS PRODUCT CAN BE FOUND AT
/USE LOWER CASE/:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/hic/flood_outlook/index.html

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WELCOMES PUBLIC FEEDBACK. IF YOU
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS PLEASE CONTACT:

FRANK RICHARDS
HYDROLOGIC INFORMATION CENTER
OFFICE OF CLIMATE WATER AND WEATHER SERVICES
SILVER SPRING MD 20910
PHONE: 301-713-1630 X 128
EMAIL: Francis.Richards@noaa.gov

THIS NOTICE AND OTHER SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE
INTERNET AT /USE LOWER CASE/:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notif.htm

END