Configuring AWIPS to include Decision Support Events in Warnings

22nd Great Lakes Operational Meteorology WorkshopAnn Arbor, Michigan

May 15, 2014

Phillip G. KurimskiNWS Detroit/Pontiac

Evan BookbinderNWS Pittsburgh

Outline

• DSS Role• DSS Events in Warnings• Previous Efforts• Dynamic Database• WFO DTX Event Support Criteria• Success Stories• Conclusions

DSS Role

• Decision Support Services (DSS) continue to play a larger role in day to day operations

• Current services include briefings before and day of the event

• On-site and remote support also available depending on the size of the venue

• Traditional warnings did not mention specific events

DSS Events in Warnings

• WHY?• Local residents aware of counties and

surrounding communities…however• Large events attract visitors from diverse

geographic areas• Visitors not aware of surrounding counties and

communities• They do know the event they are attending!

Previous Efforts

• CR WarnGen Repository included a special heads-up for outdoor event

• Selection would give the user framing coding requiring the WDM to enter the event manually

Previous Efforts

• Good but not good enough• WDM had to remember to click selection and

manually add in events in the path of the storm

Previous Efforts

• Other methods developed a database that would update everyday or have a static file of all large event venues in the CWA

• Better but not perfect• Made no distinction for time of day or

attendance

Dynamic Database

• Merges previous efforts with Mile Marker techniques to develop a dynamic database and mapping technique to display DSS events

• Create database with Lat/Lon and time the event needs to be included in products– Flag determines if event is included in Warnings or

just displayed on map• Setup cron to run every 30 minutes to update

database

Dynamic Database

• Setup AWIPS to display Maps• Static map of Large Event Venues• Dynamic Map of events

– Today– Tomorrow– This Week

• Map allows for briefings and greater lead time than Warnings

Dynamic Database

• Include map here

Dynamic Database

• Include map here

Dynamic Database

• Setup WarnGen to include events in Warnings– TOR, SVR, SPS

• Includes Marine Events for marine products– SMW and MWS

• Best way to put events into warnings– Auto-selected in WarnGen– Event put in Warning if in Polygon– WDM does not have to worry about time of day or

attendance

Dynamic Database

• Include WarnGen screenshot here

Dynamic Database

• Text Output

THOSE ATTENDING THE MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM AND SHOULD PREPARE FOR DANGEROUS WEATHER CONDITIONS.

WFO DTX Event Support Criteria

Small Medium Large Very Large

Town FireworksSmall Town ParadeMost Marathons

Most College and Professional SportsCounty FairsMost Concerts

Air showsCar CruisesBig FestivalsSporting Tournaments

Professional Car RacesMany City of Detroit EventsHigh Security

Some Medium and all Large and Very Large Events:

• Events need to have an attendance of 100,000 people or larger• Detroit Lions not included as Ford Field capacity is 65,000• Michigan Wolverines included as Michigan Stadium capacity is 110,000

Examples: Detroit River Days Festival, Woodward Dream Cruise, Thunder Over Michigan Air Show, Bay City Fireworks Festival, Back to Bricks Festival, Ann Arbor Art Fair, Detroit Fireworks, NASCAR Races at MIS, NATO Summits

WFO DTX includes events in Warnings for the following Criteria:

Success Stories

• Woodward Dream Cruise 20 August 2011• Chicago Bears Game at Soldier Field 17

November 2013

Success Story2011 Woodward Dream Cruise

Before the Storms Hit• NWS Personnel provided several phone briefings

the day of the event • Mike Loper (Oakland County DHS) was called

around 4 pm for a potentially severe storm that would impact the cruise in about an hour

• Lt. Clemens (Royal Oak PD) was called about 10 minutes before the storm hit

Briefings discussed timing and threats with high winds the main impact along with lightning and brief heavy rain

Woodward Dream Cruise was mentionedIn 3 separate Severe Weather StatementsIssued at 419 pm…430 pm and 446 pm

THOSE ATTENDING THE WOODWARD DREAM CRUISE ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS AND SHOULD PREPARE FOR DANGEROUS WEATHER CONDITIONS.

Success Story2011 Woodward Dream Cruise

What Happened?• Storm hit the Cruise around 5 pm

• Winds overturned several tents put along the cruise• High winds produced tree damage across southern

Oakland county

Success Story2011 Woodward Dream Cruise

• Mike Loper – Oakland County Homeland Security• "Thank you again for doing a great job with this –

good concise, but not sky is falling, but needed information for situational awareness… this is especially important for decision makers, event planners, emergency operations centers, incident command posts and others involved in public safety and protective action/emergency warning."

2011 Woodward Dream CruiseSuccess Story

Success Story2013 Chicago Bears Game

Before the Storms Hit• NWS Provided Briefings to

Chicago OEMC the day before the event about the possibility of tornadoes

• SPC issued a PDS Tornado Watch at 840 am

• LOT issues SVR Warning at 1227 pm and Chicago OEMC was immediately notified

SOLDIER FIELD IS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS...EVERYONE AT SOLDIER FIELD NEEDS TO TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY AND SHOULD PREPARE FOR DANGEROUS WEATHER CONDITIONS!

Soldier Field was mentioned in the initial warning at 1227 pm

Success Story2013 Chicago Bears Game

Success Story2013 Chicago Bears Game

What Happened?• Play was suspended in the first quarter and fans

were evacuated around 1230 pm

Success Story2013 Chicago Bears Game

After the Storms Hit• Play resumed at 325 pm

Conclusions

• Building a Dynamic Database takes pressure off the WDM while allowing for maximum service to our partners

• Dynamic maps can be a valuable tool for briefings and long term storm planning

• Fits into the IDSS paradigm and the WRN Roadmap

Acknowledgements

• Mike Dangelo WFO CTP• Doug Speheger WFO OUN• Mike Hudson CRH• Dick Wagenmaker WFO DTX• Jamie Enderlen WFO LOT

ReferencesBookbinder, E., cited 2013: A Solution for Dynamic Ingest of Real-Time Local Storm Report into WarnGen. Central Region NIAB #83

Dangelo, M., cited 2013: Instructions on how to make the Interstates files for WarnGen use. Last accessed: 15 June 2013. [Available online at http://www.erh.noaa.gov/ctp/features/warngen/how_Interstates_work]

Kurimski, P., E. Bookbinder, G. Noonan and S. Truett, cited 2013: Central Region WarnGen Template Repository. Last accessed: 15 June 2013. [Available online at http://intra.crh.noaa.gov/crh/bestpractices/warngen/]

Speheger, D., 2004: Configuring WarnGen to Include Interstate Mile Marker Locations in Warnings. NWS Southern Region Technical Attachment. NWS Southern Region, Fort Worth, TX, 5 pp.

Speheger, D., 2005: On-line update to "Configuring WarnGen to Include Interstate Mile Marker Locations in Warnings”. [Available online at http://www.spegweb.com/papers/warngen/mm_update.php]

More Information

• Phil Kurimski WFO DTX– Phil.Kurimski@noaa.gov

• Evan Bookbinder WFO PBZ– Evan.Bookbinder@noaa.gov

• Files and instructions for AWIPS 1 and 2– GLOMW website or– http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/?n=awipsdss

Questions or Comments?