NOAA 95-42
Contact: Randee Exler FOR RELEASE (301) 713-0622 6/14/95
Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown will apply criteria provided in an independent study released today by the National Academy of Science's National Research Council (NRC) to evaluate the adequacy of weather radar coverage and associated weather services outlined in the plan.
Following his evaluation, the Secretary will recommend modifications and any appropriate funding requests for additional weather radars or offices that may be needed to ensure no degradation of weather services. The Secretary will issue the Department's recommendations in a report to Congress by late fall 1995.
"Several members of Congress and community leaders have expressed concern about whether their areas of the country will receive adequate radar coverage. The Department of Commerce now can apply the NRC criteria to the National Weather Service modernization plan and determine where modifications, if any, need to be made to ensure no degradation of service," said Brown.
"It is important to remember that weather radars are only one of many tools that make up the modernized National Weather Service," said NRC Panel Chairman William E. Gordon. "One should not necessarily equate any potential loss of radar coverage with degradation of service, because there are other technologies which complement the radar network including advanced weather satellites, automated surface observing systems, superspeed computers and sophisticated information processing and communications systems."
The NRC criteria will be applied to geographic areas where citizens expressed concern about modernized weather services. Thirty-two "areas of concern" were identified through a 60-day public comment period, which ended January 3. Public comments were solicited through an announcement in the Federal Register.
Five of these areas have also been identified by the NRC as geographic areas of concern. They are northern Alabama, northern Indiana, northwestern North Dakota, northwestern Pennsylvania, and southeastern Tennessee.
By applying the criteria and taking into consideration public comments received, the Secretary of Commerce will identify where actions to decommission a radar, or to close, consolidate, relocate, or automate a field office may degrade weather services. The Modernization Transition Committee, a federal advisory committee comprised of user-community representatives, will be consulted before the report is complete and sent to Congress.
The criteria identified by the NRC include:
-- determining the weather phenomenon of particular concern
such as tornadoes, flash floods, hurricanes, etc.
--examining the relevant weather coverage maps provided in
the Research Council report to see if radar coverage for the
particular phenomenon of concern in the region is reduced from
what existed previously.
--assessing the capability of the NWS system, as a whole, to
provide weather service for the area and its impact on reducing
risk to life and property. Elements to be considered include
local weather characteristics, radar coverage, spotter networks,
education and training of local forecasters, adequate
communications, and weather data from satellites and other
sources.
"Should the final evaluation of the modernization plan call for additional offices or radars, additional funding authority and appropriations will be needed," said Elbert W. Friday Jr., director of the National Weather Service.
The Secretary of Commerce asked the NRC to assess the adequacy of future weather radar coverage in August 1994. In response, the NRC prepared an independent scientific assessment of proposed weather radar coverage and the consolidation of National Weather Service field offices, applying the terms of the "no degradation of services" requirement of Public Law 102- 567.
The National Weather Service is well on its way to completing the largest modernization and restructuring in its history to improve the quality and reliability of its products and services for the protection of life and property and the economic well being of the nation. Under the current plan, the modernization is to be completed in 1999.