DOCSLIB.ORG

Workshop on Weather Ready Nation: Science Imperatives for Severe Thunderstorm Research, Held 24-26 April, 2012 in Birmingham AL

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Workshop on Weather Ready Nation: Science Imperatives for Severe Thunderstorm Research, Held 24-26 April, 2012 in Birmingham AL Workshop on Weather Ready Nation: Science Imperatives for Severe Thunderstorm Research, Held 24-26 April, 2012 in Birmingham AL Sponsored by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Science Foundation Final Report Edited by Michael K. Lindell, Texas A&M University and Harold Brooks, National Severe Storms Laboratory Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center Texas A&M University College station TX 77843-3137 17 September 2012 Executive Summary The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) workshop sponsored a workshop entitled Weather Ready Nation: Science Imperatives for Severe Thunderstorm Research on 24-26 April, 2012 in Birmingham Alabama. Prior to the workshop, teams of authors completed eight white papers, which were read by workshop participants before arriving at the conference venue. The workshop’s 63 participants—representing the disciplines of civil engineering, communication, economics, emergency management, geography, meteorology, psychology, public health, public policy, sociology, and urban planning—participated in three sets of discussion groups. In the first set of discussion groups, participants were assigned to groups by discipline and asked to identify any research issues related to tornado hazard response that had been overlooked by the 2011 Norman Workshop report (UCAR, 2012) or the white papers (see Appendix A). In the second set of discussion groups, participants were distributed among interdisciplinary groups and asked to revisit the questions addressed in the disciplinary groups, identify any interdependencies across disciplines, and recommend criteria for evaluating prospective projects. In the third set of discussion groups, participants returned to their initial disciplinary groups and were asked to identify and describe at least three specific research projects within the research areas defined by their white paper(s) and to assess these research projects in terms of the evaluation criteria identified in the interdisciplinary groups. Each set of group discussions was followed by a plenary session in which a group member provided a brief oral report on the major findings from her or his group’s discussion. The major issues identified within each of the areas defined by the eight white papers were consistent with the recommendations in reports from previous workshops and committees. However, the recommendations from the Birmingham workshop were more detailed and led to 12 specific research recommendations—a) Physical Understanding for Improved Forecasts, b) Wind Effects on Buildings, c) Forecasters’ Construction of Warning Polygons, d) Effects of False Alarms on Warning Recipients, e) Effects of Warning Message Content and Warning Context on Population Response, f) Laboratory and Web Experiments on Warning Messages, g) Antecedents of Household and Business Tornado Preparedness, h) Preparedness and Response by Vulnerable Populations, i) Pre-Impact Planning for Post- Impact Community Recovery, j) Tornado Mitigation Adoption, k) Contingent Valuation of Tornado Warning Parameters, and l) Social Science Short Course for Weather Forecasters. Each of these proposed projects is described in terms of its rationale, expected benefits, scope, duration, staffing and budget, and probability of near-term payoff. In addition, the workshop participants echoed the recommendations of previous workshops and committees in recommending an increase in the number of social scientists who work closely with NWS meteorologists at all levels of the agency. Social scientists can contribute to many aspects of the NWS mission—from staffing, training, and job design all the way through the design of warning messages and the assessment of community weather resilience. Their contributions will be most effective if they are in daily contact with NWS staff ranging from forecast meteorologists to senior administrators. i Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1 Workshop Activities ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Research Agendas From Previous Workshops ............................................................................................. 2 Research Issues ............................................................................................................................................. 4 Organizational Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 7 Research Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 8 References ................................................................................................................................................... 23 White Paper 1: Physical Understanding for Improved Forecasts Yvette Richardson ............................................................................................................................. A-1 White Paper 2: Current Challenges in Tornado Forecast and Warning Greg Carbin, Pamela Heinselman and David Stensrud ...................................................................... A-9 White Paper 3: Household Preparedness and Mitigation Linda Bourque .................................................................................................................................. A-17 White Paper 4: Individual/Household Behavioral Response Michael K. Lindell, Dan S. Sutter and Joseph E. Trainor ................................................................ A-27 White Paper 5: Population Segments with Disabilities Laura M. Stough and Christopher B. Mayhorn ................................................................................ A-36 White Paper 6: Pre-Event Planning for Post-Event Recovery Brenda Phillips ................................................................................................................................. A-51 White Paper 7: Economic Analysis of Tornado Warning Systems Dan S. Sutter, Jamie Kruse, Jeffrey K. Lazo, Erwann Michel-Kerjan and Kevin Simmons ........... A-56 White Paper 8: Hazard Mitigation (Safety Rooms and Shelters) Marc Levitan .................................................................................................................................... A-65 Workshop Executive Committee ............................................................................................................ A-72 Workshop Co-Chairs .............................................................................................................................. A-72 Workshop Participants ............................................................................................................................ A-73 ii Introduction The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation Workshop sponsored a workshop entitled Weather Ready Nation: Science Imperatives for Severe Thunderstorm Research on 24-26 April, 2012 in Birmingham Alabama. Prior to the workshop, teams of authors completed eight white papers, each of which was approximately five single-spaced pages. These topics were 1) Physical Understanding for Improved Forecasts, 2) Forecast and Warning Process, 3) Individual/Household Behavioral Response, 4) Population Segments with Disabilities, 5) Household Emergency Preparedness, 6) Pre-Impact Planning for Disaster Recovery, 7) Economic Analysis of Tornado Warning Systems, and 8) Hazard Mitigation (Safety Rooms and Shelters). Each white paper, which was produced in approximately six weeks, briefly summarized the state of the science in that area and made some preliminary research recommendations. All eight papers were distributed before the workshop so participants would have the basic background information about each area that they would need for productive discussions of interdisciplinary issues. This allowed the participants to devote two full days to small group discussions, presentation of group summary reports, and plenary discussion of the group summary reports. Workshop Activities The workshop had 63 participants representing the disciplines of civil engineering, communication, economics, emergency management, geography, meteorology, psychology, public health, public policy, sociology, and urban planning. The workshop began on Tuesday morning with a plenary session involving a welcome by Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan, a summary of Norman Workshop by Steven Koch, and self-introductions by the participants. After a short break, participants reassembled in six breakout groups that corresponded roughly to the eight white paper topics. Because of limitations on the number of groups and the small number of participants who specialized in the areas corresponding to White Papers 4, 6, and 8 (population segments with disabilities, pre-impact recovery planning, and hazard mitigation), participants in these three areas were combined into a single group. The six groups were asked to discuss the Norman Report (http://www.joss.ucar.edu/events/2011/weather_ready/information.html) and their group’s white paper(s), identify neglected issues and research needs within the research areas defined by their white paper(s), and prepare a ten minute plenary presentation summarizing their group’s discussion and
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 23 Public Reaction to Impact Based Warnings During an Extreme Hail Event in Abilene, Texas
    23 PUBLIC REACTION TO IMPACT BASED WARNINGS DURING AN EXTREME HAIL EVENT IN ABILENE, TEXAS Mike Johnson, Joel Dunn, Hector Guerrero and Dr. Steve Lyons NOAA, National Weather Service, San Angelo, TX Dr. Laura Myers University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL Dr. Vankita Brown NOAA/National Weather Service Headquarters, Silver Spring, MD 1. INTRODUCTION 3. HOW THE PUBLIC REACTED TO THE WARNINGS A powerful, supercell thunderstorm with hail up to the Of the 324 respondents, 86% were impacted by the size of softballs (>10 cm in diameter) and damaging extreme hail event. Listed below are highlighted winds impacted Abilene, Texas, during the Children's responses to some survey questions. Art and Literacy Festival and parade on June 12, 2014. It caused several minor injuries. This storm produced 3.1 Survey question # 3 widespread damage to vehicles, homes, and businesses, costing an estimated $400 million. More People rely on various sources of information when than 200 city vehicles sustained significant damage and making a decision to prepare for hazardous weather Abilene Fire Station #4 was rendered uninhabitable. events. Please indicate the sources that influenced your Giant hail of this magnitude is a rare phenomenon decisions on how to prepare BEFORE this severe (Blair, et al., 2011), but is responsible for a thunderstorm event occurred. disproportionate amount of damage. 1) Local television In support of a larger National Weather Service 2) Websites/social media (NWS) effort, the San Angelo Texas Weather Forecast 3) Wireless alerts/cell phones
    [Show full text]
  • Tornado Preparedness Checklist
    Tornado Preparedness Checklist A tornado is one of nature’s most destructive storms. Unlike a hurricane or tropical storm, a tornado can develop with little warning, sometimes within minutes of the start of a thunderstorm, leaving little time to react. "e wind associated with a tornado can exceed 300 miles per hour, which can cause catastrophic damage. Every area in the United States has the potential of being impacted by a tornado. Tornadoes peak in the southern states from March to May, and from late spring to early summer in the northern states. "e importance of being prepared for a tornado cannot be overstated. "e following checklist can help you to prepare your business for the e#ects of a tornado. 9 BEFORE THE TORNADO Have a plan to provide emergency noti$cations (warning system) to all employees, clients, visitors and customers in the event of a tornado. Assign the responsibility of monitoring external weather conditions to several employees. Be sure to have adequate coverage for all hours of operation, including accommodations for when these individuals will be out of the o%ce. Determine multiple reliable sources (weather websites, weather blogs, etc.) and tools to monitor real-time weather conditions. Locate multiple locations that can be used for shelter by employees during a tornado. Typically, an interior room with concrete or masonry walls is the safest. Most local $re departments will assist companies in the identi$cation of suitable tornado shelters. Post tornado shelter and evacuation maps in common areas throughout your facility. Identify a separate and unique alarm tone/siren/announcement to notify employees and guests to proceed to the designated tornado shelter.
    [Show full text]
  • RTAP Fact Sheet
    Spring 2009 Kansas RTAP Fact Sheet A Service of The University of Kansas Transportation Center for Rural Transit Providers New Preparedness Guide by Kelly Heavey tied down. On the road, a bus driver should have discussed the weather conditions with a supervisor prior to beginning a shift. Open communication should be maintained, especially if the weather worsens. A bus should not accept riders if there is a tornado warning in effect, said Iowa’s State Transportation Director Terry Voy, cited in a North Carolina School Bus Safety’s Web site resource called Tornado Preparedness. If a tornado touches down en route, Voy says the driver should be aware of any possible shelters on the route, such as buildings, caves or any other strong ansas is smack-dab in the conditions outside. Be aware of the structure to protect people. Do not take middle of tornado alley, due to alerts that may occur around you, such shelter under an overpass. Kthe collision of winds from the as sirens or radio broadcasts. If a shelter cannot be found, the arctic North and from the balmy Gulf In the office, designate a shelter in rider should locate a ditch on the side of Mexico. It is prime ground for which to seek cover. The safest place is of the road and instruct riders to take billowing super-cell thunderstorms, in an interior hallway on the lowest cover in it. The bus should be parked which may produce tornadoes. Many possible level, under a staircase, or in a far away from the people to prevent Kansas residents recognize this and designated shelter area.
    [Show full text]
  • Interview with Sean Casey
    INTERVIEW WITH SEAN CASEY YOU HAD COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THE TIV WHEN YOU WERE LOCKED OUT OF A MINIVAN IN A STORM, CORRECT? Well, actually, we had come up with the concept the year before, but getting locked out of a minivan with a tornado right next to us, that kind of confirms my sneaking suspicion that if we were going to be that close we should have something a bit more rugged. WERE THERE ANY OTHER INSPIRATIONS FOR THE TIV? Mainly it was just a feeling that, you know, there’s a huge difference between filming a tornado from a couple miles away with a telephoto lens, and filming a tornado that’s on top of you with a wide-angle lens. And that’s really where all the action is. It’s right next to the tornado. And it’s close in the tornado. That’s the kind of power that I wanted to capture. I wanted to get footage that really was as powerful as the subject matter. HOW DID YOU FEEL DURING THE GOSHEN INTERCEPT? Of course it’s hard to describe. In the moment, a part of you is fearing for your life. A part of you is just overjoyed and kind of in shock. I think I was in shock at the time, really. It was such an unbelievable experience. Unbelievable to see a tornado forming half a mile away. You pick the right spot, and it’s just coming right at you, and to bear witness to that. And another thing is I’m trying not to mess up.
    [Show full text]
  • Innovation Magazine Spring 2016
    SPRING 2016 SPRING 2016 SPECIAL ciweek 2016 PROGRAM EDITION FREE To Dream THE POWER of Dreaming Big CHASING DREAMS COVER PHOTO: and the Nasty Side of Mother Nature JAMIE FOXX IN FULL ELECTRO MAKEUP FOR THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2. THE ART OF MAKEUP and So Much More DREAM with Focus www.dmacc.edu/ciweek LAURA JOHNSON | Merit Resources When you partner with the INS Family of Companies for your business solutions, you’re freed up to focus on what you do best. We’ll equip and support you with a full suite of business solutions including Technology, HR and Contact Center services. Offering our unique combination of top-level talent, technology and tools, we’re your valued productivity partner on the road to success. INSFamilyOfCompanies.com THE INS FAMILY OF COMPANIES One experience for everything in your life Come to Microsoft and check out Surface Pro 3, Windows Phones, and more Microsoft at Jordan Creek Town Center 101 Jordan Creek Parkway West Des Moines, IA 50266 Some apps sold separately. Some features require Windows 8.1 Update, available through Windows Update. Internet access required; fees may apply. FEATURES 7 | The Power of Dreaming Big BY SCOTT SIEPKER 13 | Chasing Dreams and the Nasty Side of Mother Nature BY DR. REED TIMMER 19 | The Art of Makeup And So Much More BY HOWARD BERGER 25 | Dream with Focus BY JASON KIESAU 31 | Student Spotlight: Dreaming Reality BY JAMIN MYCAL HARDENBROOK PROGRAM CELEBRATE! INNOVATION MAGAZINE 34 | Welcome IS PUBLISHED BIANNUALLY PROVOST ANTHONY D. PAUSTIAN, Ph.D. BY DES MOINES AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE WEST CAMPUS.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 AMS Awards Brochure
    2020 Awards AMS Fellow Ping Chang Professor and Chair Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas Ping Chang is a professor and the Louis & Elizabath Scherck chair in oceanography and serves as the director of the International Laboratory for High-Resolution Earth System Prediction at Texas A&M University. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1988. His research focuses on climate dynamics and modeling. He is a contributing author of the fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and an author of ~140 peer-reviewed scientific journal papers. AMS Fellow Donna J. Charlevoix Director UNAVCO, Boulder, Colorado Dr. Donna Charlevoix is director of Education and Community Engagement for UNAVCO and the NSF-supported GAGE facility. She worked for over a decade in academia as faculty after which she transitioned to work for non-profits that support federally-funded science facilities. She is actively involved in atmospheric science education research, co-authors university science textbooks, and serves in the leadership of the American Meteorological Society. She resides with her family in Colorado. AMS Fellow Jeffrey L. Collett, Jr. Professor Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado Dr. Collett is a professor and head of Colorado State University’s Atmospheric Science Department. He studied at MIT (Chemical Engineering) and Caltech (Environmental Engineering Science), before completing a postdoc at ETH- Zurich. Principal research topics include emissions and air quality impacts from oil and gas development; the sources, transport and deposition of reactive nitrogen pollutants; air quality impacts of wild and prescribed fires; aerosol chemistry; and air pollution processing by clouds and fogs.
    [Show full text]
  • Emergency Preparedness Plan
    Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN Last update: March 2018 2 Table of Contents Introduction 5 a. Crisis Response Support Document 5 ​ Glossary of Terms 7 Emergency Planning Protocol 9 Developing an Emergency Response Plan 11 a. Emergency Contacts 12 b. Emergency Team 14 c. Command Post 15 d. Emergency Kit 16 e. Emergency Binder 17 f. Evacuation Plan 18 g. Lockdown/Hold and Secure/Shelter in Place Plan 19 h. Severe Weather Plan 20 i. Emergency Entrances and Stairwells - Naming Conventions 22 First Aid Planning 23 Emergency Preparedness Training 25 Responsibilities During an Emergency 27 a. Board Office Responsibility 27 b. Principal, Designate or Site Manager Responsibility 28 c. Staff Responsibility 30 d. First Aid Responsibility 31 e. Student Responsibility 32 f. Parent/Guardian Responsibility 33 Communicating During an Emergency 35 a. School or Site-based Communications 35 b. General Guidelines for Responding to an Emergency 36 c. Communications Procedure for School or Site 37 d. Post-Incident Debrief 38 Emergency Situations Evacuation 39 a. On-site Evacuation 39 b. Off-site Evacuation 40 First Aid Emergencies 41 Medical Emergencies 43 a. Asthma 43 b. Allergic Reactions 44 c. Seizures 45 3 d. Diabetes 46 e. Concussion 47 Fire 49 Transportation - Serious Accident/Incident 51 Field Trip Accident/Incident 53 Bomb Threat 55 Chemical/Hazardous Material 63 Facility Emergency 65 Lockdown 67 Hold and Secure 69 Shelter in Place 71 Severe Weather (Tornado) 73 Critical Injury or Death 75 ​ Appendices A. Communications Protocol Crisis and Alert 77 ​ B. Fire Scene Response Guidelines 79 ​ C. Transportation a.
    [Show full text]
  • 38Th Conference on Radar Meteorology
    38th Conference on Radar Meteorology 28 August – 1 September 2017 Swissôtel Hotel Chicago, IL 38TH CONFERENCE ON RADAR METEOROLOGY 28 AUGUST-1 SEPTEMBER 2017 SWISSÔTEL CHICAGO, IL CONNECT Conference Twitter: #AMSRadar2017 Conference Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMSradar2017/ ORGANIZERS The 38th Conference on Radar Meteorology is organized by the AMS Radar Meteorology and hosted by the American Meteorological Society. SPONSORS Thank you to the sponsoring organizations that helped make the 38th Conference on Radar Meteorology possible: PROGRAM COMMITTEE Co-Chairs: Scott Collis, ANL, Argonne, IL and Scott Ellis, NCAR, Boulder, CO New and Emerging Radar Technology Lead: Stephen Frasier, University of Massachusetts * Vijay Venkatesh, NASA Goddard * Boon Leng Cheong, University of Oklahoma * Bradley Isom, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory * Eric Loew, NCAR EOL * Jim George, Colorado State University Radar Networks, Quality Control, Processing and Software Lead: Daniel Michelson, Environment Canada * Adrian Loftus, NASA and University of Maryland * Francesc Junyent, Colorado State Univeristy * Hidde Leijnse, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) * Joseph Hardin, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory General Information Quantitative Precipitation Estimation and Hydrology Lead: Walter Petersen, NASA-MSFC * Amber Emory, NASA * David Wolff, NASA * Jian Zhang, NSSL/OU AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY Microphysical Studies with Radars Lead: Christopher Williams, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder * Daniel Dawson, Purdue University * Matthew Kumjian, Pennsylvania State University * Marcus van Lier-Walqui, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies Organized Convection and Severe Phenomena Lead: Tammy Weckwerth, National Center for Atmospheric Research * Angela Rowe, University of Washington * Karen Kosiba, Center for Severe Weather Research * Kevin Knupp, University of Alabama, Huntsville * Timothy Lang, NASA * Stephen Guidmond, Univ.
    [Show full text]
  • News Release Ashland Police Department Douglas A
    News Release Ashland Police Department www.ashlandpolice.us Douglas A. Goodman, Chief Date: March 8, 2012 The Ashland Police Department would like to remind our citizens that March 20, 2012 has been proclaimed Tornado Preparedness Day by Governor Bob McDonnell. Recently in the news we have seen the tragedy caused by the outbreak of tornados in the mid west. Closer to home we are reminded about the devastation which was caused by tornados in Virginia in 2011. In an effort to educate the public about the dangers of tornados and the safety precautions we can take should a tornado affect our area, we are forwarding the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Press Release from the Governor’s Office. Please contact the Ashland Police Department at 412-0600 or visit http://www.vaemergency.gov for more information. GOVERNOR PROCLAIMS MARCH 20 AS TORNADO PREPAREDNESS DAY CITIZENS CAN PARTICIPATE IN STATEWIDE TORNADO DRILL RICHMOND, Va. – Last year, 51 tornadoes hit Virginia, the second highest number on record. To encourage tornado awareness and safety, Gov. Bob McDonnell has proclaimed March 20 as Tornado Preparedness Day in the commonwealth. “Tragically, many Virginia families and communities were affected by deadly tornadoes last year, and they continue to heal,” said Michael Cline, state coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. “We cannot forget that 10 of our citizens died and more than 100 were injured. So it is critically important that we all know what to do when a tornado warning is issued.” On March 20, businesses and organizations, schools and colleges, and families and individuals are encouraged to practice taking cover from tornadoes by participating in the Statewide Tornado Drill, set for 9:45 a.m.
    [Show full text]
  • LTC Emergency Preparedness Digest February 2019 - GA Newsletter
    LTC Emergency Preparedness Digest February 2019 - GA Newsletter This e-newsletter is designed to provide Long Term Care facilities with information about recent events, conference opportunities, and upcoming classes around Georgia, in addition to emergency preparedness tips and focus areas to consider. We hope you will nd this useful, and we always encourage and welcome feedback to help us improve. LTC Emergency Preparedness - Basic Course We have now completed 14 Long Term Care Emergency Preparedness - Basic courses. We are proud to announce we had a total of 511 attendees representing 195 certi ed nursing homes! Thank you all for your commitment to emergency preparedness. Later in 2019, we will be offering more basic courses as well as a new advanced-level course. We hope you are able to attend! (If you want to be noti. ed when these courses become available - email us at [email protected]) February Focus Areas Focus Area - Severe Weather As we head into Spring, it is important we prepare for all the extreme weather this new season brings. February 4-8, 2019 was Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Georgia. Included below is some of the information Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) provided regarding all of the severe weather threats Georgia may experience. Be Prepared Know your risk Build a kit Make a plan Be informed- get the warning (NOAA Weather Radio + Wireless Emergency Alerts) Thunderstorm and Lightning Safety When thunder roars go indoors! Stay indoors for 30 minutes after you hear the last clap
    [Show full text]
  • Erad2012 Programme
    1Sunday, 24 June 2012 1 17:00 – 19:00 Distribution of conference packages to registered participants and Welcome cocktail at Hôtel d’Assézat (Place d’Assézat, downtown Toulouse). Note: This ceremony is only open to people who have already registered online. There will be NO on-site registration at Hôtel d’Assézat. 1Monday, 25 June 2012 1 08:00 Bus transfer to Météo-France See conference booklet for details 09:00 Registration & Welcome coffee (offered by BARON SERVICES ) Centre International de Conférences of Météo-France (CIC) 10:00 Introduction Cochairs: Olivier Bousquet and Pierre Tabary, Météo-France Location: amphitheater 10:00 Welcome address M. Olivier Gupta , Deputy Head of Météo France Session 1 Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (Part I) (Plenary) Chair : Alexander Ryzhkov, CIMMS/NSSL Location : amphitheater 10:30 1.1 To provide accurate rainfall rates with quantified errors. (keynote) Anthony Illingworth , University of Reading 11:00 1.2 Rainfall estimation from an operational S-band dual-polarization radar in the monsoon dominant environment Gyuwon Lee, Dept. Astronomy and Atmospheric Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Soohyun Kwon, Choong-Ke Lee 11:15 1.3 The new French Operational Polarimetric Radar Rainfall Product Jordi Figueras i Ventura , Météo France, Fadela Kabeche, Béatrice Fradon, Abdel-Amin Boumahmoud, Pierre Tabary 11:30 1.4 Comparison of polarimetric techniques for operational precipitation estimation in complex orography scenarios Gianfranco Vulpiani, Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Department of Civil Protection, M. Montopoli, A. Gioia, P. Giordano, F.S. Marzano 11:45 1.5 VPR Correction of Brightband Effects in Radar QPEs Using Polarimetric Radar Observations Youcun Qi, National Severe Storms Laboratory (NOAA/NSSL), Pengfei Zhang, Jian Zhang 12:00 1.6 Rainfall estimation in mountainous regions using X-band polarimetric weather radar PC Shakti , National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disater Prevention, M.
    [Show full text]
  • Tornado Preparedness
    TORNADO PREPAREDNESS A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground and is often—although not always—visible as a funnel cloud. Lightening and hail are common in thunderstorms that produce tornadoes. Tornadoes cause extensive damage to structures and disrupt transportation, power, water, gas, communications, and other services in its direct path and in neighboring areas. Related thunderstorms can cause heavy rains, ash ooding, and hail Where About 1,200 tornadoes hit the United States every year, and every state is at risk. Most tornadoes in the United States occur east of the Rocky Mountains with concentrations in the central and southern plains, the Gulf Coast, and Florida. When Tornadoes can strike in any season, but occur most often in the spring and summer months. They can occur at all hours of the day and night, but are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Before a Tornado • Identify safe rooms built to FEMA criteria or ICC500 storm shelters or other potential protective locations in sturdy buildings near your home, work, and other locations you frequent so you have a plan for where you will go quickly for safety when there is a warning or an approaching tornado. • For schools, malls, other buildings with long-span roofs or open space plans, or many occupants, ask the building manager to identify the best available refuge. • Build an emergency kit (https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit) and make a family communications plan (https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan).
    [Show full text]