Contact: Bob Chartuk                          6/30/98
             
 

A National Weather Service assessment of services provided during the Ice Storm and Flood of January 1998 in northern New England and northern New York has been completed and is available on the Web at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/omdis.htm

The extent and magnitude of this storm is unprecedented in New England history, according to John T. Forsing, director, Eastern Region, NWS. The team that documented NWS performance in fulfilling its mission of providing accurate forecasts and timely warnings prior to, during and after the Ice Storm and Flood of January 1998 found that warning coordination and communications by the NWS field offices and the NWS Hydrometeorological Prediction Center were excellent. The NWS issued the first alert of the impending ice storm up to three days in advance of the event. As the storm unfolded, warnings provided 12 to 39 hours of lead time before the severe icing developed. Flood potential statements were issued up to two and a half days before the flooding materialized. A survey of NWS customers found that the early forecasts helped utility companies and emergency management officials deploy staffs early and take appropriate preparedness actions. In many instances, states of emergency were declared based on the forecasts to ensure a rapid response once the storm developed.

The NWS offices providing services during the storm were:

Gray, Maine
Albany, N.Y.
Taunton, Mass.
Burlington, Vt.
Buffalo, N.Y.
Northeast River Forecast Center, Taunton, Mass.
NWS Hydrometeorological Prediction Center, Camp Springs, Md.