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NOAA's NWS Focus
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| November 03, 2003 |
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NWS managers demonstrate their grilling
skills during a Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) fund-raising
event held at the National Weather Service Training Center
(NWSTC) in Kansas City, MO, September 19, 2003. Left to Right,
Dennis McCarthy, Central Region Headquarters, Jack May and
Fred Johnson, Aviation Weather Center, and Jim Poole, NWSTC,
contributed money, time and talent to provide hot hamburgers,
hotdogs, salads and dessert to 110 hungry staff and students.
The effort raised $675 for CFC. |
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Forecasters Support Firefighters as Winds Drive Fires Through
California
Wildfires have burned across portions of southern California since
October 24, 2003, and NWS meteorologists at Weather Forecast Offices
(WFOs) in San Diego and Los Angeles, along with eight Incident Meteorologists,
have been at the center of the attention of firefighting agencies,
media, emergency management agencies and the public.
One of the wildfires damaged the San Diego office's Doppler Weather
Radar and their Upper Air Observation
site. Both sites lost telephone and commercial power, according
to NWS Western Region Headquarters. The trailer at the Upper Air
site was destroyed as fires swept through the area.
"I
am very proud of the efforts of the San Diego Weather Forecast Office,
Western Region and national headquarters, and the Radar Operations
Center staffs who took immediate actions to begin restoration of
the radar operations and upper air sounding programs. Within three
days, they had the KNKX Doppler radar up and running on generator
power while still awaiting commercial power and telephone lines,"
said Vickie Nadolski, NWS Western Region director. "Edwards Air
Force Base stepped in to take soundings for a few days. Using a
mobile upper air unit, we took the first upper air sounding from
the former site on Saturday. We're back in business because of everyone's
dedicated efforts."
As of November 3, 2003, 20 people are dead from the fires or from
health-related effects from the fires, more than 3,300 homes have
been destroyed. In all, more than 750,000 acres have burned, an
area approximately the size of Delaware. Wildfires roared through
mountain and valley communities, forcing tens of thousands of people
to flee their homes, take shelter in schools, abandoned airport
hangars, and community centers.
Los Angeles Meteorologist-In-Charge (MIC) Dan Keeton, said, "This
tragic fire had all the ingredients for a major disaster: a hot
and dry Santa Ana wind, heavy fuel loads of late fire season, a
drought damaged forest, and what is probably the country's most
populous wildland/urban interface. It was gratifying to see our
forecasters working hard to provide the best possible support to
the fire line," Keeton added. "It was what I imagine WFO Miami looks
like during a category 5 hurricane."
The Hazards Assessment
issued by the Climate Prediction Center on October 21 gave an early
indication of potential problems. Both forecast offices and the
Storm Prediction Center highlighted southern California as a "Critical
Fire Weather Area" for several days prior to the onset of flames.
"The National Weather Service issued early notification
to its customers several days before the recent fires started, driven
by the Santa Ana winds. Fire Weather Watches and single digit humidity
forecasts were issued by the San Diego and Los Angeles Weather Forecast
Offices as early as October 23," said San Diego Meteorologist in
Charge Jim Purpura. "Both WFOs provided continuous updates of fire
weather watches and warnings, noting high winds, some which reached
up to 70 m.p.h."
At the peak of the event over 50,000 people were in shelters. More
than 11,000 firefighters have been on the front lines. President
Bush has declared four counties federal disaster areas. When everything
is tallied up in the coming weeks, Gov. Gray Davis said the fires
may be the worst and costliest disaster California has ever faced.
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NOAA Hosts Agricultural
Constituent Briefing
NOAA recently hosted a constituent briefing and discussion for
the agricultural community at the Department of Commerce in Washington,
DC.
More than 40 constituents and Congressional staff members attended
the briefing led by Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere
and NOAA Administrator, retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher.
The briefing focused on NOAA's role in drought monitoring, assessment
and prediction; advanced hydrologic prediction; and climate services.
Vice Adm. Lautenbacher also discussed the proposed Earth Observation
System, and the Congressional staffers highlighted the status
of drought legislation working its way through Congress.
"By working in partnership to develop innovative programs, we
can deliver better service, value and the best outcomes for our
communities," Adm. Lautenbacher told attendees.
Tom Graziano, NWS Hydrologic Services Division, gave a briefing
on the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service; Doug LeComte, NWS
Climate Prediction Center (CPC) gave a briefing on Drought Monitoring,
Assessments and Prediction; and Ed O'Lenic, CPC, gave a briefing
on Long Term Weather and Climate Outlooks. Other briefing topics
included Scientific Support for Sustainable Agriculture in Coastal
Regions, Climate-Agriculture Issues, and Climatic Data. The session
ended with a talk on economic benefits derived by NOAA services.
Constituents' questions centered around how they can access and
use NOAA products and data, and what new services may be available
in the future.
Constituent attendees included representatives of the Southern
Governors' Association, Western Governors' Association, the National
Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Association
of Wheat Growers, USA Rice Federation, National Association of
Counties, American Farm Bureau Federation, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, National Association of State Foresters, National
Conference of State Legislatures, and others.
Congressional attendees included staff members for Ranking Environment
and Public Works Committee Minority Member Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT),
Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT), and Reps. Dennis Renberg (R-MT) and
and Alcee Hastings (D-FL). These members are co sponsors of the
2003 National Drought Preparedness Act, and they gave the constituents
an update on the status of drought legislation. |
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NOAA Partners
in Detroit Team Up for Teachers Meeting Exhibit
NOAA scientists and administrators from the NWS White Lake, MI,
Weather Forecast Office, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
and Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve
teamed up to staff an exhibit
at the Metropolitan Detroit Science Teacher's Association Annual
Meeting October 25, 2003, in Southfield, MI.
The event drew over 1,200 science teachers from Metro Detroit.
Teachers displayed considerable interest in NOAA activities around
Metro Detroit with nearly 300 stopping by to talk with NOAA team
members.
In addition to the display, NOAA staff also presented a seminar
to interested teachers detailing outreach activities available
to the educational community.
WFO White Lake Meteorologist-In-Charge Dick Wagenmaker noted the
importance of collaborative NOAA outreach in addition to collaborative
science.
"It was great to participate in an event where the collaborative
NOAA spirit that we've fostered in the laboratory was on display
for educators to see. NOAA in Metro Detroit has a commitment to
educating our future workforce through these outreach activities
with teachers and students." |
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Chief Information
Officer Leaving NWS for Federal Emergency Management Agency
NWS Chief Information Officer (CIO) Barry West is leaving the
NWS to become CIO for the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), a Department of Homeland Security agency.
"We will miss Barry, but this is a positive development for NOAA
and the National Weather Service," said NWS Deputy Director John
Jones. "His knowledge of the NWS mission and his advocacy for
NWS dissemination technologies such as NOAA Weather Radio can
only strengthen the Nation's approach toward establishing an all-hazards
warning system."
West's last full day with the NWS was October 31, 2003, but he
will continue to split his time between the NWS and his new job
through November 14. The NWS Deputy CIO and Telecommunications
Operations Center Director, Larry Curran, will be the acting CIO
beginning November 3.
"I've been thoroughly impressed by the dedication and passion
of the employees of the National Weather Service," West said.
"I am proud to say that I served on the NWS team and look forward
to a continuing relationship in my new role as the CIO of FEMA."
Read the FEMA news release here.
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Also On the
Web...NWS Best Practices
If you haven't visited the NWS Employee Resources and Best Practices
web site, check it out to find examples of best practices in areas
such as office management, community outreach, customer services,
and much more. NWS Regions have pages highlighting successes in
marine, aviation, fire weather, and many other categories. Use
your NOAA username and password to logon at https://bestpractices.nws.noaa.gov/contents/bestpractices.php |
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| Employee Milestones
- Click
here to see NEW APPOINTMENTS/TRANSFERS to NWS through October
31, 2003.
- Click
here to see RETIREMENTS/DEPARTURES from NWS through October
31, 2003.
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| Send
questions and comments to NWS.Communications.Office@noaa.gov or mail
to:
National Weather
Service
Communications Office
ATTN: W/COM
1325 East West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3283
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