1. Daniel Nietfeld – NOAA/NWS/WFO Omaha NE Kansas City IWT Workshop: Using the WAS*IS Approach January 22, 2009

3.  Did it seem dangerous, or even life-threatening?  Rear flank downdraft (straight-line winds)  Behind a tornadic supercell (Hallam, NE)  What would be the best way to handle this scenario with a warning, and any associated siren blowing ???  What would be a good polygon solution for this scenario ???

4. T

6. NWS WCM Home Owner Saw

10.  Sound the sirens when the NWS issues a tornado warning  IT HI T WITHOUT ANY WARNING !!!!!  (From the NWS, or from a siren perspective)

11. NWS WCM Home Owner Saw

12.  Significant outcry  Meeting with the Mayor and Staff  Press Conference  3 days of news coverage  Google “Omaha” “Tornadoes” “June 8”

13. Xavier 14 Yr Old Boy Scout Note the scar

19. 4 Killed 48 Injured

22.  Must camp with a Severe Wx Trained adult  Severe weather training courses  Involving the IWT in groups such as Boy Scouts  Sirens / Outdoor warning devices  Storm Shelters

26. What IF ? Do you want a TOR Inside a SVR ???

28.  Tornado Warnings off/on 715 pm – 10 pm  Sirens off/on for nearly 3 hours  Were polygons too large?  (We were operating without a radar at times)  Should we take these political boundaries into account?

30. 3-D KOAX Reflectivity at 2159 UTC (courtesy GR Level 2 Analyst)

33.  Hurricane force winds  Lasting for several minutes  Damage and debris was widespread  NO TORNADOES  (?What is the best product for this scenario?)

35.  Storm statistics: Path length: 90 miles Path width: 4 to 6 miles Estimated maximum wind speeds: 110-115 mph (EF2) One fatality (tree fell on car in Council Bluffs, IA) and several minor injuries Damage estimate: $53+ million in Douglas County (Omaha)

36.  When to activate:  When the National Weather Service initiates a Tornado Warning for any portion of Douglas County.  When a public safety official or trained storm- spotter states that s/he is in site of a rotating funnel cloud or tornado within Douglas County.  When Douglas County 911 receives credible reports of damage or the eminent threat of hurricane-force sustained winds equal to or greater than 74 mph.

37.  During night-time conditions or in the absence of adequate warning, the on-duty 911 supervisor can direct an activation of the outdoor warning sirens if he/she determines that lives may be saved and injuries averted by alerting the public to the severe weather condition. Getting a bit vague here…

38.  Original Policy was product driven and failed when the science did not permit the proper product to be issued  Revised Policy was more impact driven, and worked when a life-threatening (but non- tornadic) weather event occurred

39.  Kansas City Metro area ?  Lincoln, Nebraska – spotter sighting only  Minimizing False Alarms  Flash flood policies ?

40.  June 8  Local Media flurry  Live press conference with Mayor and 911 Director  June 11  National Media  June 27  Local Media  Insurance companies, lawyers, roofing companies, etc.

44.  Siren Policies  Scout Camp issues  Shelters  Sirens  Should NWS Warnings have GIS data? (camps, etc…)  Polygon methodologies  Products that fit the event (wide range of Severe)

45. Daniel Nietfeld – NOAA/NWS/WFO Omaha NE Kansas City IWT Workshop: Using the WAS*IS Approach January 22, 2009