national weather service baltimore md/washington dc developing a weather-ready nation “pilot...
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National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
Developing a Weather-Ready Nation
“Pilot Project: Impact-Based Decision Support Services”
Baltimore/WashingtonWeather Forecast Office
Open House 2012
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
Today’s Topic• New Pilot Project to Enhance Services
– Weather-Ready Nation– NWS Role with Core Partners– Pilot Project Objectives
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
NWS Baltimore/Washington OverviewArea of Responsibility
Maryland– 13 Counties– City of Baltimore– Chesapeake Bay
West Virginia– 8 Counties
Virginia– 22 Counties– 11 Independent Cities
The District of Columbia
9.3 Million People over 27,000 square miles
Region is prone to all weather hazards
Major Rivers– Potomac– Shenandoah– Rappahannock
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
NWS Baltimore/WashingtonOperations & Services
• Warnings Severe Thunderstorms/Tornadoes Winter Storms Flooding Temperature/Wind Marine Hazards Fire Weather
• Decision Support Services
• Data Collection Climate Cooperative Observers
• Forecasts Public Marine Aviation Fire Weather River
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
New NWS InitiativeTo build a
“Weather-Ready Nation”
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
What is a Weather-Ready Nation?
• A nation that effectively prepares for and responds to hazardous weather events.
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
What is Our Part in “Weather-Ready Nation?”
• To Improve Weather Forecast Services for Core Partners• Core partners make important decisions to protect
communities during high-impact events.• We call it “IDSS”:
– Impact-Based Decision Support Services
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
NWS Core Partners• Emergency Management
– State / Region / Local
• Other Government Agencies
– DOTs / Public Works – Public Health
• Public Universities and Colleges
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
Our Partnership
NWS Emergency Response Meteorologists
• On-site deployment• Provide critical information
to Emergency Managers• Develop new forecast tools.
Emergency Managers
• Receives critical weather information.
• Shares it with local police/fire, etc.
• Deploys emergency responders.
Critical
Weather
Information
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
A New Direction• Not Just Forecasts…. • …Decision-Support Services
ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 805 AM EDT WED MAY 9 2012DCZ001-VAZ054-091600- DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WASHINGTON...ALEXANDRIA...FALLS CHURCH 805 AM EDT WED MAY 9 2012 ...COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON... .TODAY...CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS EARLY THIS MORNING... THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. HIGHS IN THE MID 70S. NORTHWEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN 30 PERCENT. .TONIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOWS IN THE MID 50S. NORTHWEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN 50 PERCENT. .
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
How does it all work?
• Emergency Managers receive the information and coordinate with:
• Police• Fire• Hospitals• Dept. of Transportation• Schools• Red Cross
End result=Community preparedness.
A winter storm will impact the region. NWS ERS Meteorologists relay critical forecast interpretation to Core Partners.
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
• Important emergency manager decisions:– How many snow plows?
– Do we open shelters?
– Do we need emergency food/water?
– How many police/fire personnel need to be on hand?
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
• The weather will affect the answers to those questions.– How much snow
– When it starts/ends
– How heavy will it snow and will it impact the rush hour?
– What’s the chance it will be worse? (or not so bad)
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
4 Pilot Project Objectives1) Improve Information Flow
- On-Demand Briefings- Video conferencing- Phone
- On-Site briefings at Emergency Operations Centers
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
4 Pilot Project Objectives2) Explain Range of Possibilities
- Best / Worst Case- Probability
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
4 Pilot Project Objectives
3) Catalog Weather Impact on Society- What areas would be evacuated?- What would cause shelters to be opened?- What would cause travel disruption?
4) Build a Weather-Ready Nation- Work with the Public & Weather Enterprise- Everyone gets a clear message and knows how to
protect themselves.
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
Summary• New Pilot Project to Enhance Services
– Emergency Managers & Other Core Partners
• ERS Meteorologists – Build Relationships with Core Partners– Develop Impacts Catalog– Provide Enhanced Weather Support (on & off site)
National Weather ServiceBaltimore MD/Washington DC
Links• Weather-Ready Nationhttp://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/
• Weather-Ready Nation YouTube Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pp3JJNcZfE
• National Weather Service Baltimore/Washingtonwww.weather.gov/washington