Hey MobileBay--good news--Mobile National weather service...

[iceangel]

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/new ... 3FFA.shtml

Local agencies to get detailed storm information
June 2, 2005

On the Web
Escambia County:
http://www.bereadyescambia.com

Santa Rosa County:
http://www.santarosa.fl.gov/emergency

National Weather Service:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mob

Sean Smith@PensacolaNewsJournal.com

This hurricane season, the National Weather Service in Mobile will be able to provide more detailed information about the strength of oncoming storms to help local emergency managers.

The new information would help emergency officials make earlier, critical decisions about storm preparations, evacuation and possible flooding.

Last season, only the National Hurricane Center in Miami could forecast the onset of hurricane-force winds more than 36 hours before a storm made landfall.

This season, local offices will be able to supplement information from the Hurricane Center as much as 120 hours before landfall, mainly because of changes implemented by the Weather Service, said Gary Beeler, senior meteorologist at the Mobile office.

"It will provide us with more detailed local information -- especially on the winds," said Sheryl Bracewell, interim emergency management director for Santa Rosa County. "It will definitely help us plan evacuations and prepare shelters."

Area emergency managers got this word as officials marked the first day of hurricane season Wednesday with a meeting at the Weather Service's Mobile office.

Randy McKee, meteorologist-in-charge in Mobile, said the changes were implemented in all Weather Service offices serving coastal areas.

Other key changes for the 2005 season:

· Local forecasters can use radar and satellite readings to estimate wind speeds and potential rainfall to augment National Hurricane Center reports as storms approach land.

· Forecasters can issue tornado warnings for areas where the destructive eye wall -- with sustained winds of 115 mph or greater -- is expected to strike within two hours of predicted landfall. This will allow residents to take immediate shelter in interior portions of their homes, Beeler said.

· Forecasters can provide more detailed warnings on the effects of coastal flooding and warnings for inland areas as the storms push ashore, Beeler said.

The news was a boost for local emergency managers, who will get more frequently updated information on threatening storms.

The National Hurricane Center sends updates on tropical depressions, storms and hurricanes every six hours. The locally produced updates usually are issued within three or four hours of the Hurricane Center reports. Localized short-term forecasts on threatening weather are updated every hour, Beeler said.

"This will allow us to communicate more critical information to the public," McKee said. "We will have another busy season. (The Panhandle-Alabama Gulf Coast region) is still the hot spot for hurricanes. We have learned from the past how vulnerable we are."

This hurricane season is predicted to be more active than normal, with 15 named storms, eight of them hurricanes and four storms reaching Category 3 or greater strength.

Early preparation is crucial for local residents, said John Dosh, training operations officer for Escambia County Emergency Management. He hopes residents take advantage of the tax-free holiday for hurricane supplies that began Wednesday and ends June 12.

"Residents need to start getting ready right now," Dosh said. "No matter how many storms they predict, it only takes one storm -- the storm that hits us."

McKee also warned about relying on experiences with past storms. Residents in the Grande Lagoon area whose homes did not flood during Frederic in 1979 or Opal in 1995 might have believed they were safe from Ivan.

"People were used to what happened during Frederic and Opal and thought they would be OK," he said. "They did not get the brunt of those storms. Unfortunately, some people paid the supreme price (with Ivan)."
©The Pensacola News Journal
June 2, 2005

[mobilebay]

Thank you. That is good news. They are allowing these local offices more and more liberty now. That is great news. Thanks for posting it!

[iceangel]

Thank you. That is good news. They are allowing these local offices more and more liberty now. That is great news. Thanks for posting it!

Your welcome.

[Cookiely]

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/new ... 3FFA.shtml

Local agencies to get detailed storm information
June 2, 2005

On the Web
Escambia County:
http://www.bereadyescambia.com

Santa Rosa County:
http://www.santarosa.fl.gov/emergency

National Weather Service:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mob

Sean Smith@PensacolaNewsJournal.com

This hurricane season, the National Weather Service in Mobile will be able to provide more detailed information about the strength of oncoming storms to help local emergency managers.

The new information would help emergency officials make earlier, critical decisions about storm preparations, evacuation and possible flooding.

Last season, only the National Hurricane Center in Miami could forecast the onset of hurricane-force winds more than 36 hours before a storm made landfall.

This season, local offices will be able to supplement information from the Hurricane Center as much as 120 hours before landfall, mainly because of changes implemented by the Weather Service, said Gary Beeler, senior meteorologist at the Mobile office.

"It will provide us with more detailed local information -- especially on the winds," said Sheryl Bracewell, interim emergency management director for Santa Rosa County. "It will definitely help us plan evacuations and prepare shelters."

Area emergency managers got this word as officials marked the first day of hurricane season Wednesday with a meeting at the Weather Service's Mobile office.

Randy McKee, meteorologist-in-charge in Mobile, said the changes were implemented in all Weather Service offices serving coastal areas.

Other key changes for the 2005 season:

· Local forecasters can use radar and satellite readings to estimate wind speeds and potential rainfall to augment National Hurricane Center reports as storms approach land.

· Forecasters can issue tornado warnings for areas where the destructive eye wall -- with sustained winds of 115 mph or greater -- is expected to strike within two hours of predicted landfall. This will allow residents to take immediate shelter in interior portions of their homes, Beeler said.

· Forecasters can provide more detailed warnings on the effects of coastal flooding and warnings for inland areas as the storms push ashore, Beeler said.

The news was a boost for local emergency managers, who will get more frequently updated information on threatening storms.

The National Hurricane Center sends updates on tropical depressions, storms and hurricanes every six hours. The locally produced updates usually are issued within three or four hours of the Hurricane Center reports. Localized short-term forecasts on threatening weather are updated every hour, Beeler said.

"This will allow us to communicate more critical information to the public," McKee said. "We will have another busy season. (The Panhandle-Alabama Gulf Coast region) is still the hot spot for hurricanes. We have learned from the past how vulnerable we are."

This hurricane season is predicted to be more active than normal, with 15 named storms, eight of them hurricanes and four storms reaching Category 3 or greater strength.

Early preparation is crucial for local residents, said John Dosh, training operations officer for Escambia County Emergency Management. He hopes residents take advantage of the tax-free holiday for hurricane supplies that began Wednesday and ends June 12.

"Residents need to start getting ready right now," Dosh said. "No matter how many storms they predict, it only takes one storm -- the storm that hits us."

McKee also warned about relying on experiences with past storms. Residents in the Grande Lagoon area whose homes did not flood during Frederic in 1979 or Opal in 1995 might have believed they were safe from Ivan.

"People were used to what happened during Frederic and Opal and thought they would be OK," he said. "They did not get the brunt of those storms. Unfortunately, some people paid the supreme price (with Ivan)."
©The Pensacola News Journal
June 2, 2005

This could be good or could be bad. It just depends on who is doing the forecasting and their qualifications.

[mobilebay]

I know the estimates on wind values of an approaching storm is usually overdone. That is a good point Cookiely.

[ALhurricane]

Having worked at the Mobile NWS, I can safely say that you have a fine group of meteorologists that will provide quality updates when the next storm threatens.

Also, with the local offices able to augment wind information by using the WSR-88D is a great thing. Base velocity data is able to shed better light on what areas will receive the highest winds. This is especially true now that the WSR-88D has a new Volume Coverage Pattern (VCP) that produces even higher quality velocity data.

[mobilebay]

Thanks Alhurricane. NWS mobile does do a fantastic job. It seems the wind field on some of the TC's are overrated. Just my opinion though.

[vbhoutex]

I'm not sure the wind field s are overrated. I think people lose sight of the fact that the winds in a Hurricane which are the highest reported/found could be in one strong cell/area of the storm, but must be reported as a much larger area due to the uncertaintly of just where that cell/area is going. Unfortunately, or acutually fortunately winds in TC's do not form a perfect circle or oval around the eye.

[dhweather]

Will a Tornado Warning really help?

If a Hurricane is making landfall, the folks should have
evacuated. The ones that stey should know they are
in for a hurricane.

[Brent]

Interesting.

Will a Tornado Warning really help?

If a Hurricane is making landfall, the folks should have
evacuated. The ones that stey should know they are
in for a hurricane.

Well... SHOULD is the keyword.