The (NWS) welcomes the opportunity to provide input to EB Docket No. 04- 296 concerning Part 11 (EAS) Rules.

Request for a new Event Code for the Extreme Wind Warning in Part 11 rules, Subpart B, Section 11.31(e)

This is a reiteration of a change request submitted by the NWS in August 2011 and November 2013 for consideration by the FCC.

The NWS requests the addition of a new State and Local Event Code to the presently authorized code listing in Part 11. The NWS recommended nature of activation is Extreme Wind Warning. The NWS recommended Event Code is EWW.

Background: The need for an Extreme Wind Warning emerged in 2004 when moved across the peninsula and over the Orlando metropolitan area with sustained wind speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. Because extreme winds were forecast to impact the interior portions of Florida, NWS forecasters issued Warnings to provide a final warning for individuals to take immediate protective actions. EAS activations were requested through the TOR event code.

An NWS Assessment was conducted on all NWS services provided for Hurricane Charley. An assessment is conducted for extreme weather events with significant losses to life and property. There were many commendations from the emergency management community on use of the TOR code as a nonconventional, ingenious means for protecting lives. Use of the for this purpose was identified as a best practice. For more information, please see page 17 of the Charley assessment at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/assessments/pdfs/Charley06.pdf

In 2005, landfilled in . Once again, the NWS Forecast Offices issued Tornado Warnings to advise residents to immediately take shelter in an interior portion of a well-built structure. Once again, an NWS Assessment was conducted for NWS services provided during Hurricane Katrina. A recommendation from this assessment was, “the NWS should implement a separate (product) code for Extreme …Wind Warnings.” For more information, please see page 23 of the Katrina assessment at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/assessments/pdfs/Katrina.pdf

For both Hurricanes Charley and Katrina, we found some individuals were confused by the issuance of a Tornado Warning for extreme winds associated with a hurricane, and not associated with actual tornadoes. In response to assessment recommendations and feedback received by the NWS concerning for these warnings, the NWS launched a team to comprehensively explore this issue; the NWS solicited additional feedback from emergency managers, broadcasters, and social scientists from 2005 through 2006.

After careful study, NWS policy was changed in 2007 to allow NWS forecasters to issue short duration Extreme Wind Warnings to provide the public with advance notice of the onset of extreme, sustained surface winds (greater than or equal to 115 miles per hour) in association with a major landfalling hurricane (this is Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale). Extreme Wind Warnings inform the public of the need to take immediate shelter in an interior portion of a well-built structure due to the onset of extremely strong winds. The issuance of an Extreme Wind Warning provides a last and final call for individuals to move to interior portions of sturdy structures in order to minimize injuries or loss of life.

The NWS product code—transmitted through numerous dissemination systems to all parts of the weather enterprise—is EWW. However, if the NWS issues an Extreme Wind Warning, the TOR event code will be invoked for the EAS—once again, potentially leading to some confusion for the broadcast community and the public.

Extensive preparations for issuing the Extreme Wind Warning include adding the new product to the suite of NWS warning messages across all NWS dissemination systems, transmission of the “Extreme Wind Warning” on NOAA All Hazards (NWR); training and outreach to community decision makers, emergency managers, and broadcasters; and extensive public outreach and education.

The NWS is also exploring possible options on using the Extreme Wind Warning in the future to address other rare extreme wind events, such as the damaging, multi-state which occurred in late June 2012 from the Mid-West to the Mid-Atlantic.

Based on the stringent warning criteria, the NWS will issue the Extreme Wind Warning on a very infrequent basis. To reduce injuries and save lives just prior to the onset of the most extreme core of winds associated with major hurricanes, and to improve communications to broadcasters, the public and the emergency management community, the NWS respectfully requests the addition of “Extreme Wind Warning” to Section 11.31(e), with a corresponding event code of /EWW/.

The NWS contacted several manufacturers of EAS encoders and decoders. They indicate the new event code can easily be added to most current platforms through a simple software update. For older platforms and legacy equipment they continue to support, the new code can usually be added through a firmware or software update, which may involve a nominal cost. The NWS believes the broadcaster costs and resources to effect this change are far outweighed by the savings to lives and property.

The NWS respectfully requests implementation of this change by February 1, 2015, to allow time to prepare for the 2015 season beginning June 1, 2015 in the Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

Mr. Timothy Schott in the NWS Headquarters Office of Climate, Water and Weather Services is the lead staff member for the requested change to the Part 11 EAS Rules. He may be reached via e mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (301) 713-0090 x146.