Information Dissemination Technologies & Architecture: Meeting the Growing Needs of Decision-Makers and the Public The National Weather Service Perspective Herb White NOAA’s National Weather Service National Hurricane Conference April 6, 2004

2 Outline NWS Mission –Forecast & Warning Environmental Hazards –All-Hazards Warning Responsibility NWS Role in Dissemination NWS IT Architecture Support for the Mission All-Hazards: What Do We Mean? How Civil Emergency Messages Reach the Public NWS Dissemination Major Users and Methods Change Considerations NWS Digital Services Vision New Codes and Formats Discussion

3 Produce Weather, Water and Climate Forecasts and Warnings –For All Americans –To Protect Life and Property –To Enhance the National Economy Data and Products: –Government Agencies –Private Sector –The Public –Global Communities Weather and data are becoming more important to economy and business decisions –“The annual cost of electricity could decrease by at least $1 billion if the accuracy of weather forecasts improved 1 degree Fahrenheit.” USA Today, 6/19/01 The NWS Mission

4 NWS All-Hazards Responsibility Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act provides FEMA the authority to delegate the responsibility “for necessary emergency preparedness communications and for dissemination of warnings to the civilian population of a hazard.” FEMA’s National Response Plan (NRP/FRP) Communications Annex (Emergency Support Function - ESF #2) to NRP/FRP tasks NOAA/NWS to “provide public dissemination of critical pre and post event information on the all hazards NOAA Weather Radio.” Former FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh in June 2002 reaffirmed NWS responsibility under ESF #2 to disseminate “all hazards” emergency information over NWS systems

5 Public NWS Role in the Dissemination of Information Commercial Services and Media International Organizations Federal, State, and Local Agencies NWS Observations

6 Business Architecture Mission Mission support Administration Forecasts and Warnings Coordination with the Partner/User Community Backup Operations Archiving Performance Verification Business Architecture ComponentsMission Component Functions

7 “All-Hazards” Messages What Do We Mean? “All-Hazards” emergency messages include: –Natural Hazards (tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes) –Accidents (chemical releases, oil spills, nuclear power plant emergencies, maritime accidents, train derailments) –Terrorism Criteria to disseminate non-weather (i.e. civil emergency) messages: (1) Public safety is involved (2) Message comes from an official government source (3) Information is time critical Broadcast of All-Hazards Emergency Messages entails: –Message collection, authentication, and dissemination

8 How Civil Emergency Messages Reach the Public NOAA Weather Radio Public Commercial Radio/TV (Emergency Alert System) Weather Wire Service Weather Forecast Office Civil Emergency Message Family of Services Commercial Vendors LEGEND Message delivered Message delivered if appropriate receiver exists Message delivered according to state plans Voluntary HazCollect (2005)

9 NWS Dissemination Major Users and Methods Partners & Customers –Local, State, Federal Governments & Agencies –Local & National Media –Academic & Professional Community –Private Meteorological Companies –Public –International Meteorological Community Methods –Family of Services (FOS) –NOAAPORT –Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN) –NOAA Weather Radio (also input to EAS) –NOAA Weather Wire (also input into EAS) –Internet

10 Why Digital Services? Partners and customers becoming more sophisticated Demand for faster access to information and updates Data Explosion –Increased resolution and frequency of observations and forecast models –Increased number of sensors and improved sensing technology –New spatial and temporal requirements –Graphics, imagery, and video –Thousands of small products IT has provided new information exchange pathways –Internet services (ex.: http, ftp, push) –Digital data exchange –Graphical Bandwidth –Technology selection –Estimation of capacity growth –Transmission of ‘information’ versus ‘raw data’ Allow scientists to focus on content rather than format NRC recommendation to provide data and products in digital form

11 Change Considerations Federal agencies to use “voluntary consensus standards” –PL (National Technology and Transfer Act of 1995) –Government Paperwork Elimination Act of 1998 –eGovernment Act of 2002 –National Academy of Sciences NRC’s “Fair Weather: Effective Partnerships in Weather and Climate Services” NWS’ interactions with myriad systems, domestic and international. Ex.: –NWR is NWS’ primary input to EAS –Global Telecommunications System (GTS) –International Satellite Communications System (ISCS)

12 NWS Digital Services Vision To meet customer and partner needs for high quality, accessible, and reliable digital weather, water, and climate services through optimized forecast operations.

13 Benefits More timely and consistent weather information Information delivered in a variety of formats to meet diverse needs Higher temporal and spatial resolution Focus on science Easier access to, and use of, information Support for Partners and Weather Enterprise

14 Summary Digital Services will support the growing demand for reliable, updated, high resolution weather information Maximize use of technology and science Utilize scalable systems and software allowing staged approach to meet customer needs & requirements Digital database will become the primary product of the NWS Improved partnerships to facilitate evolution of digital services

15 New Codes and Formats Valid Time Event Code ( implementation) –VTEC will reduce errors and ensure consistency and continuity in watch, warning and advisory text products –VTEC will improve Partners’ use and interpretation of critical NWS watches, warnings and advisories Formats (use by NWS is experimental) –XML (Extensible Markup Language) CAP (Common Alerting Protocol) RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

16 Open the Discussion Will migration from fixed format products to information or content-centric service meet emergency managers’ and public warning needs? –Correct approach? –What format types? What is the future need for plain-text products? –Forecasts? –Warnings and advisories?

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