Meteorological And Hydrologic Cooperation:Meteorological And Hydrologic Cooperation:“Impacts Of Weather, Water And Climate “Impacts Of Weather, Water And Climate Information on Disaster Preparedness”Information on Disaster Preparedness”
Division of Emergency Management Mission Statement
Ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies,
recovery from them and mitigate their impact.
Extreme WeatherExtreme Weather• Drought / Wildfires• Floods• Severe Weather• Temperature• Tropical Cyclones
Are You Using Weather, Water and Climate Information in Making
Decisions?
Changing Outcomes
• Can Emergency Managers utilize forecast products to improve the outcome of an event?
• Public Information• Resource Management• Scale of events
If So, What Information Do You Use (Observations, Forecasts, Climate
Outlooks)?
Information Used
• Long Range• Mid Range• 1 to 3 Days• Short Term• Warnings
National Weather ServiceMelbourne, Florida
EL Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Home Page
National Weather Service Melbourne, Florida Daily Threats Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook
Keetch-Byram Drought Index
What Weather, Water and Climate Information Do You Not Currently
Receive, Which You Need?
Unmet Needs
• We are still striving to understand how to apply current products to reduce the impact of weather and climate events
• Formats designed for the non-meteorologist / scientist
• More data on potential impacts at scales useful to the end users
What Are Your Critical Thresholds of Weather, Water and Climate
Information in Order for You to Take Appropriate Action?
Actions
• In summer 1997, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) forecast a strong El Nino to develop and continue through the 1997-98 Florida – December 1997 to the "Florida El Nino
Summit" in Tallahassee, FL – 22-23 February 1998 Florida storm that
produced the deadliest tornado outbreak in Florida history, killing 42 people
Where Do You Obtain Your Weather, Water and Climate
Information?
Sources
• U.S. National Weather Service• Research CommunityAccess• Internet• NOAA Weather Wire Service• Emergency Managers Weather
Information Network
What Inhibits Your Use of Weather Information and What Would Convince You to Routinely
Incorporate This Information in Your Decision Making Process?
Inhibitions
• Lack of skill in applying forecast to actions• Consequences of a busted forecast• Lack of specificity in long range forecasts• Public Officials What is needed• Probabilistic Forecast• Training
Craig FugateCraig [email protected]@dca.state.fl.us
www.floridadisaster.orgwww.floridadisaster.org