NOAA’S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
PROVIDES NEW RIVER FORECAST POINT AT CANTON, N.C.

The NOAA National Weather Service Forecast Office in Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C., and the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center in Slidell, La., now provide a new river forecast point at Pigeon River at Canton, N.C., starting March 1, 2005. NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“This new forecasting service at Canton is part of NOAA’s continuing mission to serve society’s needs for weather and water information,” said Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), director of NOAA's National Weather Service. “On average, 84 people lose their lives due to floods in the U.S. every year. The new forecast service will provide valuable time for people to take action and help reduce the number of fatalities.”

This forecast service is intended to provide the public and Haywood County emergency officials with advance warning of impending floods. Flood warnings will be disseminated over the NOAA All-Hazards Weather Radio, through local media and Haywood County emergency officials as well as the NWS Web site:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/gsp

Flood stage at Canton on the Pigeon River has been set at 12.0 feet based on an elevation of 2593.66 feet above Mean Sea Level. Gauge zero - the elevation at which the gauge starts at zero - is set at an elevation of 2581.66 feet above Mean Sea Level.

“To determine how high the river must be in order to flood a home or business, subtract the zero flood elevation (2581.66 feet) from the property's actual elevation - the difference is the approximate stage height the river would need to be in order to reach the property,” explained David Reed, hydrologist in charge of the LMRFC.

Pigeon River at Canton will become a daily forecast point included in NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS), a Web-based service of improved river and flood forecasting as well as water information. Specific daily river forecasts will be available starting March 1, 2005 for Pigeon River at Canton on the NWS AHPS Web site: http://ahps.erh.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ahps.cgi/gsp&ctpn7

The river gage site is owned, operated, and maintained by the United States Geological Survey in Asheville, N.C., and is located just 1.3 miles upstream from U.S. Highway 19/23 at Canton.

NOAA’s Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center prepares river stage forecasts for the major rivers in the south-central part of the U.S. covering approximately 200,000 square miles. The center’s area of responsibility includes most of Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, and portions of eight neighboring states; including, the west North Carolina area.

NOAA’s National Weather Service forecast office in Greenville-Spartanburg provides full weather services for 28 counties in North Carolina, 12 counties in South Carolina, and 6 counties in northeast Georgia. The office collects hydrometeorological data, prepares and disseminates weather forecasts, river and flood forecasts and warnings as well as issues severe weather watches and warnings to the public.

The NOAA National Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and warnings for the United States and its territories. The NOAA National Weather Service operates the most advanced weather and flood warning and forecast system in the world, helping to protect lives and property and enhance the national economy.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

NOAA’s National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov

NWS Forecast Office in Greenville-Spartanburg: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/gsp

NOAA’s LMRFC: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfc