Editor's Note: Highlighting the Work of a Veteran

NWS's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) is participating in one of the largest U.S. weather studies ever conducted. The International H₂O Project (IHOP) 2002 is tracking the swaths of moisture that fuel heavy rain across the southern Great Plains from Texas to Kansas. Scientists hope that analyzing water vapor will yield better predictions of when and where summertime storms will form and how intense they will be. IHOP began on May 13 and runs through June 23, 2002.

Led by the NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), IHOP has a high-tech fleet to collect air and ground data. Six aircraft from the United States and Germany will traverse the core study area, some flying as high as 56,000 feet. On the ground, an armada of 30 weather-tech vehicles, including four Doppler radars on flatbed trucks, will comb the rural roadways of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. Over 100 scientists and technicians scattered across the plains will aim radars and other sensors at water vapor well ahead of the day's first raindrops.

On selected days, ten NWS field offices will fly radiosonde soundings every 3 hours. More than 250 IHOP researchers will then study the data and recommend means by which NWS might improve its quantitative precipitation forecasts.

SPC is providing severe and hazardous weather guidance and scientific expertise for the project. "IHOP provides the SPC opportunities to evaluate new and experimental numerical weather prediction models in detail, and test new hardware and software for possible integration into SPC operations," said Russell Schneider, Chief of SPC's Science Support Branch.

SPC forecasters will interact with leading scientists, researchers, and forecasters from a variety of locations interested in operationally relevant issues. SPC staff will also mentor three students from the 2002 Oklahoma Weather Center Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. The students will take an active role in IHOP activities as a part of their studies.

"This is a unique opportunity for SPC forecasters to interact personally and professionally with leading research specialists while focusing on operationally critical forecast problems," said Schneider. "Rapid integration of this and other research into NWS forecast operations promises to improve our forecasts of thunderstorm initiation and potentially improve severe weather forecast lead times."

More information on the study is available on the IHOP home page.

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Length of Marine Forecasts is Extended - This Story and More in the NWS Weekly Report

On May 20, 2002, the NWS began providing more detailed and consistent forecasts to mariners and other customers by reducing overlap with the Atlantic high seas forecast area. Both the Atlantic and Pacific offshore forecasts were extended from three to five days. Read more about this and other news developments that make it into the Weekly Report to NOAA by visiting the Communications Office's Weekly Report page at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weekly/index.htm.

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NOAA Announces Leadership Development Opportunity: Apply By June 21

NOAA is accepting applications for a career development initiative that will help grow future senior leaders with agency-wide capabilities. "Our ability to accomplish NOAA's mission is wholly dependent upon the organization's most important asset -- its people," wrote Deputy Under Secretary Scott Gudes in a May 17, 2002, message to employees announcing the Leadership Competencies Development Program (LCDP). According to Gudes, LCDP will foster "an environment that nurtures a shared understanding of our agency, its mission, vision, as well as objectives. It will expand substantive knowledge of NOAA's mission and strengthen communication in and across NOAA."

John Jones, NWS Deputy Director, says "the LCDP grew out of the individual line office leadership development programs, so NWS will not conduct the Senior Leadership Potential Program this year. The Corporate Board fully supports employee participation in the NOAA-wide LCDP," he said. "There are four slots allocated for NWS employees for this first class," said Jones. "We encourage interested employees GS-13 to GS-15 to apply for this unique career development and leadership opportunity."

The LCDP also does not substitute for nor compete with the courses recently announced as part of the NWS Leadership Academy. In the March 1 edition of NOAA's NWS Focus Greg Mandt, Director of the Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services at NWS Headquarters, reported that the Leadership Academy is a collection of classes offered in sequence to prepare people for greater responsibility and management (click here for the full story). LCDP, according to Donna Layton, Training Division, NWS Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services, will help participants develop a larger NOAA perspective.

Effectively combining elements including Individual Development Plans, formal training sessions, three to four career broadening rotational assignments, and a formal mentoring program, LCDP takes place over an 18-month period. Coupled with the NWS Leadership Academy, LCDP offers another way NWS employees can influence their career, develop their leadership skills, and contribute to and shape the future of our agency.

For more information on LCDP see http://www.rdc.noaa.gov/~hrmo/leadership.htm. Application information is available through this web site. Applications must be received by the Human Resources Management Office not later than close of business on the closing date, June 21, 2002.

Working Together to Save Lives:
Chris Kornkven, Making A Difference

Chris Kornkven is an Electronics Technician with the Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office (WFO). Prior to joining the NWS in 1990, Kornkven was active in the Army and he continued his military service in the Army Reserves after he joined the NWS. Not long after he started at the NWS, he was deployed to the Persian Gulf War. His tour of duty in the Persian Gulf led him to become an advocate for better access to health care and medical research for veterans and their families.

Even though he is an Electronics Technician by trade and education, the Army also crossed-trained him to be in charge of his unit's medical requirements as a secondary duty. "I soon found I was working more on taking care of our unit's health than repairing radios and I felt I contributed best by ensuring our soldiers received good medical care," Kornkven said.

According to Kornkven, "When I came back from the Gulf with a knee injury, I needed continuing care and follow-up surgeries. I found it very difficult to navigate through the VA healthcare system to get treatment. I also found many other Gulf veterans were concerned with various health problems from the war." Since he was working through the same problems, Kornkven says it was natural for him help other veterans facing the same challenges.

"Veterans health is important to me because I witnessed first hand the healthcare that was provided to those who put their lives on the line for this country." Kornkven has testified before or met with officials from the Presidential Oversight Committee, Congressional Committees, the Centers for Disease Control, the Presidential Special Oversight Board, and the National Institutes of Health.

In 1992, he and three other veterans formed the National Gulf War Resource Center. Kornkven is on the Board of Directors and was President of the organization from 1995-2000. This national non-profit organization has become a clearing-house for health information pertaining to veterans and their families. It has grown into a coalition that includes 60 other veterans groups throughout the world. Kornkven notes, "We are now able to voice our concerns nationally for better medical care and research. We have produced and distributed Self-Help Guides to over 30,000 veterans and their families. The publication is in its 5th edition!" On May 3-5, 2002, the organization held its 6th Annual Gulf War Conference in Atlanta, GA, which featured many prominent speakers/panelists, including H. Ross Perot, a Naval Academy graduate and veteran, and Dr. Mark Brown, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. A Birmingham News article about the event can be found here.

"Chris brings a strong work ethic and 110 percent of himself to all endeavors he pursues, said Kenneth Rizzo, Meteorologist-In-Charge at the Milwaukee/Sullivan WFO. He never does anything half-way...on the job and in his personal life, Chris serves his country well."

"Always remember that Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Independence Day are more than just work holidays...they are significant days in the minds and hearts of veterans, their families, and the country. Remember the sacrifices veterans made, especially from those who will never come home," Kornkven said. "Veterans will be coming home soon from Afghanistan and we as a Nation need to follow-through on our commitment to these individuals and their families, even after they hang up their uniforms."

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NWS Economic Statistics: Snazzy Facts for Dinner Party and Elevator Conversations

We recently highlighted a useful list of economic impact statistics compiled and verified by the Strategic Planning and Policy Office at NWS Headquarters. The file is called NWS Economic Statistics (a Wordperfect file). Here are a couple of examples.

• The annual cost of electricity could decrease by at least $1 billion if the accuracy of weather forecasts improved 1 degree Fahrenheit. Source: Jones, Del. "Forecasts: 1 Degree is Worth $1B in Power Savings," USAToday.com, June 19, 2001.

• Overall, the 1997-1998 El Niño is estimated to have had total U.S. economic impacts on the order of $25 billion. Source: Changnon, Stanley, ed. "El Nino 1997-1998; The Climate Event of the Century," Oxford Press 2000, Chapter 6.

Take a moment and check it out, then bookmark the file for future reference. Now NOAA has produced a booklet which includes the same NWS statistics and adds similar statistics for all the NOAA line offices. We've added the NOAA Economic Statistics file (an Adobe Acrobat pdf file) to the Communications Toolbox. If you have any good additions to offer, send them to us at NWS.Focus@noaa.gov. Be sure to include the original source information (where published, when, author if known, and any other pertinent information so the information can be verified).

WFO Corpus Christi Helps Students Dare to Dream

The Corpus Christi, TX, Weather Forecast Office (WFO) recently participated in Dare to Dream Day hosted by the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station.

"This special day gave students an opportunity to meet people who work in the community and learn about their contributions to the community," said Donell Woods, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at WFO Corpus Christi. The goal of the program was to challenge students to "Dare to Dream" of being whoever they want to be.

Joining Woods at the event were four other Corpus Christi staff: Brian Lamarre, Senior Forecaster; Mark Lenz, Forecaster; Tawnya Evans, Forecaster; and Mani Medrano, Administrative Support Assistant.

The messages of the day were ‘You Can Do All Of This If You Stay In School,' and ‘Stay Away From Drugs, Gangs, and Violence.' "Attendance was fantastic," reported Woods. "Over 26 schools from the surrounding area participated, bringing an estimated 10,000 students and teachers to the event."

The students toured military and civilian displays. WFO Corpus Christi staff and the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Detachment in Corpus Christi teamed up to staff a weather booth. As Navy and Air Force fighters and bombers flew overhead, static displays of other aircrafts (such as the WC-130 weather plane) were available on the ground.

StormReady Designation Given to Special Community

An Eastern Idaho community has become a new addition to the StormReady family with the "Special Community" designation. On May 13, 2002, the Idaho Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) became the first nuclear test site to receive this citation. INEEL is where the first nuclear submarine was developed and where large cannons for the naval ships of WWII were tested (e.g., the battle ship Missouri). INEEL is also where the first electricity from nuclear power was invented. Today, INEEL continues to lead the way in nuclear research.

"This is one of the test bed sites used for updating the national criteria for special designation communities for StormReady," said Vernon Preston, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the Pocatello/Idaho Falls Weather Forecast Office. "In reality, many of the StormReady requirements that the NWS is currently working on comes from our work at INEEL."

INEEL is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy and operates like an Air Force Base or Indian Reservation with its own security, fire protection, and 24-hour emergency operations center (reported to be the best in the state of Idaho). This is the first StormReady designation of its kind.

In FY 2002, the state of Idaho has received two other notable accomplishments: state with the most StormReady Communities (104 StormReady Designations: 21 Counties, 83 Communities); and state with the most new counties in FY 2002. For more information on the StormReady Program, click here.

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Thanks for the Tips!

We post resources on the Communications Office web site that can help you communicate better. Recently, we added a list of tips for creating and delivering powerful presentations on our Communication Toolbox page. Ursula Jones of the Weather Forecast Office in Juneau, AK, sent us additional tips that we have added to that list. Thanks Ursula! You can see the presentation tips file at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/presentations/tools.htm. We recommend you bookmark the page for future reference, and tell us what other tools would help you tell the Weather Service story. If you have materials that you want to add to our Communication Toolbox, send them to NWS.Focus@noaa.gov.