Relationships between the US Environmental Hazard Warning Cycle and the Emergency Readiness/ Emergency Management Cycle Expert Meeting on NMHSs’ Participation in Disaster Risk Reduction Coordination Mechanisms and Early Warning Systems Herbert White Dissemination Services Manager National Weather Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce November 27, 2007

Warning Cycle Coordination and Dissemination Observation and Detection Analysis Mitigation, Planning and Education Recovery and Assessment Response

Warning Cycle Observation and Detection  Satellite  Radiosondes  Aircraft and Ship  Surface weather sensors  Stream & tide gages  Seismometers  Buoys  Field observers

Warning Cycle Analysis  Models  Observation data  Interpretation  NWS collaboration  Forecast/Warning

Warning Cycle Coordination and Dissemination  Hazard?  Risk?  Confidence?  Impacts?  Multiple pathways  Social science

Warning Cycle Response  Take action  Response Plans  Assess personal risk?  Make personal decisions?  IMET support

Warning Cycle Recovery and Assessment  Hazard impacts?  Incident vs. disaster?  Recovery planning  Assess to improve!

Warning Cycle Mitigation, Planning and Education  Likely hazards?  Hazard Mitigation Plan  Vulnerabilities we cannot mitigate for, we prepare for through planning and education.

Integrated Environmental Awareness The Vision The goal is to access and provide the right information, in the right format, at the right time, to the right people, to make the right decisions.

National Centers: National Public Education (Presidential Proclamation, Season outlook, national news conference, hurricane tour,) Modeling Improvements Observations Improvements (SFMR, dropsondes) Coordination and Planning with FEMA Regional HQ: Coordination and Planning with FEMA Regions Weather & River Forecast Offices: Local Public Outreach & Education Local Disaster Preparedness with EMs Hazard Assessment Continuity of Operations Planning BEFORE National Centers: Modeling Hurricane Track Forecasts Storm Surge Forecasts Coordination Calls National Media Interviews Regional HQ: Ongoing coordination with FEMA Regions, State Governors, and Regional Media Weather & River Forecast Offices: Local Forecasts and Warnings after hurricane makes landfall State, & Local Emergency Managers Communication Local Media Interviews DURING National Centers: Ongoing Model development Infusing new research findings Regional HQ: Identifies need for National Service Assessments Employee Tracking & Support Weather & River Forecast Offices: Local damage assessment Infrastructure Assessment Continued public education and media interviews AFTER Integrated Environmental Awareness National, Regional, & Local Operations

122 Weather Forecast Offices throughout the U.S. Warning Coordination Meteorologists (WCMs) lead the outreach and education efforts. Many WFOs have formed teams. Focus has been on atmospheric science to improve understanding of weather safety and preparedness. Expanded focus includes global warming, climate change, oceans, tsunamis, all-hazards - natural and human-caused, etc. Established relationships with local school districts, news media, emergency management, other agencies such as Red Cross. Integrated Environmental Awareness Local Operations

Range of IMET Services Selendang Ayu Oil Spill… Dutch Harbor Minneapolis Bridge Collapse Texas/Oklahoma Started in December… IMETs there for 9 months! Katrina Response IMETs present for 3 months NOAA Safe SanctuariesDemocratic/Republican National Conventions Mt. Rushmore Fireworks Columbia Shuttle Recovery Greensburg, KS Tornado – 2 months

13   StormReady and TsunamiReady encourage communities to take proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather and tsunami operations and public awareness.   They are active collaborations between federal, state, territorial, and local emergency management agencies; the public; media; and the NOAA NWS warning system.   Both are high visibility programs for the NWS and NOAA in national government. They are recognized as “innovative best practices in how to form federal partnerships with our constituents in support of our mission of protecting lives and property. ” Example of Collaboration

14 What is StormReady? A partnership program between the NWS, FEMA, State and local Emergency Management Officials, that helps ensure disaster mitigation and planning are optimized. From tornadoes to high winds, civil emergencies to floods…everyone sleeps easier at night in a StormReady community! Van Wert County, OH, proved it was StormReady when more than 50 movie goers lived through an F4 tornado after warnings sounded during a showing of Santa Claus 2. Pictured left are the remains of the theater.

15  Develop a Emergency Action Plan  Establish a 24-hour warning point (WP) and emergency operations center (EOC)  Have multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings, and DHS/NWEM notifications at the WP and EOC. Have a plan/system in place for public notification.  Ensure key public facilities have NWR – SAME receivers.  Ability of the WP, EOC, and local Emergency Management Officials to monitor the weather.  Promote the importance of public readiness through outreach and education in the community. Preparations for StormReady/TsunamiReady Recognition

16 StormReady TsunamiReady Active partnership between emergency managers and NOAA/National Weather Service 1220 StormReady® Sites in 50 states, Puerto Rico & Guam: 638 Counties, 514 Communities, 16 Universities, 4 Indian Nations, 5 Commercial Sites, 8 Military/Government Sites. 41 TsunamiReady Sites in 9 states, Puerto Rico and Guam.

17 Other Partnership Examples  PPP2000 – Public Private Partnership 2000  Partnership co-sponsored by 16 Federal agencies organized under the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as the Subcommittee on Natural Disaster Reduction, the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and a number of private sector organizations.  From September 1997 to October 1999, convened 14 one-day meetings, each bringing together around 100 technical experts and high-level policy and business officials to discuss a particular aspect of natural disaster reduction.  CODE – Coalition for Disaster Education  A coalition of more than 26 government and non-government organizations works to ensure consistent, accurate and timely messages. This helps ensure the public hears the same preparedness message even if from different sources, reinforcing the message making it easier for people to determine what positive action steps they can take to be better prepared.  WAS*IS – Weather and Society * Integrated Studies  Weather and Society * Integrated Studies (WAS*IS) is a grassroots movement to effect change within the weather enterprise by fully integrating social science into meteorological research and practice in a comprehensive and sustained way. The WAS*IS mission is to empower practitioners, researchers, and stakeholders to forge new relationships and to use new tools and concepts for more effective socio-economic applications and evaluations of weather information and products.