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NOUS41 KWBC 231728
PNSWSH
PUBLIC INFO. STATEMENT...SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 01-40 AMENDMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
115 PM EDT THU AUG 23 2001
TO: FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS
WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/ SUBSCRIBERS...
OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS AND
PARTNERS...NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: THOMAS GRAZIANO
CHIEF...SERVICES BRANCH HYDROLOGIC SERVICES DIVISION
SUBJECT: UPDATE: NEW FLOOD OUTLOOK PRODUCT...AVAILABLE IN
TEST MODE EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1 2001
...THIS NEW GRAPHICAL PRODUCT WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE ON NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE...
...THIS NOTICE UPDATES AND AMENDS AN EARLIER STATEMENT ISSUED ON
AUGUST 1 2001 /SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 01-40/...NOTE THE NEW TESTING
PERIOD BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 1 2001...AND NEW URL FOR THE FLOOD
OUTLOOK ROLL OUT TOWARD THE END OF THE MESSAGE JUST
ABOVE CONTACT INFO...
ON SEPTEMBER 1 2001...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL BEGIN AN
OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION OF A GRAPHICAL FLOOD OUTLOOK
PRODUCT. THIS PRODUCT WILL IDENTIFY AREAS ACROSS THE NATION
WHERE THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT RIVER FLOODING OVER
THE SUBSEQUENT 5 DAYS.
SIGNIFICANT FLOODING IS DEFINED AS FLOODING THAT ADVERSELY
AFFECTS ROADS...RESIDENTIAL...COMMERCIAL...INDUSTRIAL...AND/OR
AGRICULTURAL AREAS AND MAY REQUIRE THE EVACUATION OF PEOPLE
AND/OR LIVESTOCK. THIS NEW OUTLOOK WILL FOCUS ON FLOODING ALONG
RIVERS AND WILL NOT ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING.
PRODUCT TESTING WILL OCCUR IN TWO STAGES. THE FIRST STAGE WILL
BEGIN IN SEPTEMBER. INDIVIDUAL OUTLOOKS WILL BE PROVIDED BY FOUR
RIVER FORECAST CENTERS /RFC/ SERVING COASTAL STATES FROM TEXAS TO
NEW JERSEY. THEY WILL CONSIST OF INTERNET-BASED GRAPHICS SHOWING
AREAS WHERE FLOODING IS CONSIDERED POSSIBLE OR LIKELY. THE
OUTLOOK WILL NORMALLY BE MADE AVAILABLE IN THE AFTERNOON...SEVEN
DAYS A WEEK. HOWEVER THERE MAY BE OCCASIONS DURING THIS TEST
PERIOD WHEN ISSUANCE OF THE PRODUCT COULD BE DELAYED OR EVEN
MISSED.
OUTLOOKS PRODUCED DURING THE FIRST PHASE OF TESTING WILL BE
AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESSES /USE LOWER CASE/:
MIDDLE ATLANTIC RIVER FORECAST CENTER
HTTP://MARFCHP1.MET.PSU.EDU/FOP
SOUTHEAST RIVER FORECAST CENTER
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/SERFC/FOP
LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER FORECAST CENTER
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/LMRFC/FOP
WEST GULF RIVER FORECAST CENTER
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/WGRFC/FOP/WGRFCFOP.HTML
THE SECOND STAGE OF TESTING IS PLANNED FOR OCTOBER WHEN ALL RIVER
FORECAST CENTERS COVERING THE 48 CONTIGUOUS STATES AND ALASKA
WILL PROVIDE...VIA THE INTERNET...A FLOOD OUTLOOK FOR THEIR AREA
OF RESPONSIBILITY. AN ADDITIONAL MAP SHOWING FLOOD POTENTIAL FOR
THE 48 CONTIGUOUS STATES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH EMWIN...
NOAAPORT...THE FAMILY OF SERVICES...AND THE INTERNET. DURING
THIS PHASE OF TESTING...THE OUTLOOK WILL NORMALLY BE MADE
AVAILABLE EACH AFTERNOON. HOWEVER THERE MAY BE OCCASIONS WHEN
ISSUANCE COULD BE DELAYED OR EVEN MISSED.
THE PROGRAM IS EXPECTED TO BECOME FULLY OPERATIONAL IN NOVEMBER.
AT THAT TIME USERS CAN EXPECT EACH RIVER FORECAST CENTER TO
UPDATE THE OUTLOOK FOR THEIR AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY DAILY AND
POST IT TO THE INTERNET ON A WEB PAGE. A FLOOD OUTLOOK COVERING
THE 48 CONTIGUOUS STATES...A MOSAIC OF THE OUTLOOKS PREPARED BY
RIVER FORECAST CENTERS...WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE EACH DAY AT
APPROXIMATELY 4 PM EASTERN TIME. THE MOSAIC WILL BE DISSEMINATED
OVER NOAAPORT [WMO HEADER: PENJ88 KWNH]...THE FAMILY OF SERVICES
/FOS/...THE EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
/EMWIN/...AS WELL AS THE INTERNET. THE FLOOD OUTLOOK COVERING
ALASKA WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET.
THESE PRODUCTS ARE INTENDED TO ALERT EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND
OTHERS THAT A POTENTIAL FOR RIVER FLOODING EXISTS. OFFICIAL
FLOOD FORECASTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ISSUED BY THE WEATHER
FORECAST OFFICES /WFO/. THE WEB-BASED PRODUCTS WILL PROVIDE AN
ENTRY POINT FOR USERS SEEKING MORE DETAILED HYDROLOGIC
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY RIVER FORECAST CENTERS AND WEATHER
FORECAST OFFICES.
INFORMATION ON THE ROLL OUT OF THIS PRODUCT...INCLUDING WEB LINKS
TO THESE NEW FLOOD OUTLOOKS...CAN BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING NEW URL
/USE LOWER CASE/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OH/HIC/FLOOD_OUTLOOK/INDEX.HTML
...NOTE THE CHANGE IN THIS URL COMPARED TO THE URL INCLUDED IN
THE ORIGINAL MESSAGE ON AUGUST 1 2001... THIS NEW URL IS ALL
LOWER CASE LETTERS...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WELCOMES PUBLIC FEEDBACK. IF YOU
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS PLEASE CONTACT:
FRANK RICHARDS
HYDROLOGIC INFORMATION CENTER
OFFICE OF CLIMATE WATER AND WEATHER SERVICES
SILVER SPRING MD
PHONE: 301-713-1630 X 128
EMAIL: FRANCIS.RICHARDS@xxxxxxxx
THIS NOTICE AND OTHER SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE
INTERNET AT /USE LOWER CASE/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
END
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