L to R - Andy Patrick (WFO Lake Charles), Dr. Steve Lyons, Ken Graham (WFO New Orleans), and Armando Garza (WFO Shreveport). (Photo: Tim Osborn, NOAA/Office of Coast Survey) )
(February 27, 2009) -- The National Weather Service forecast office in Lake Charles, in partnership with the NOAA Office of Coastal Survey and Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise, hosted the 2009 Gulf Coast Marine Conference in Lafayette, LA.
Led by Donovan Landreneau, forecaster and Marine Program leader at NWS Lake Charles, and Tim Osborn from NOAA Coastal Survey, participants at the conference discussed critical meteorological and geological threats to the citizens, infrastructure and communities of the northern Gulf Coast. A special emphasis was placed on the effects of past hurricanes on the Louisiana coast, especially Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005) and Hurricanes Gustav and Ike (2008).
More than one hundred people attended this conference including NWS office personnel from Slidell, Shreveport, and Houston/Galveston region. Television meteorologists, the U.S. Coast Guard, parish emergency managers, as well as other local, state, and federal officials were among the audience. The Weather Channel's Hurricane expert Dr. Steve Lyons was the keynote speaker.
National Weather Service meteorologists from the Houston/Galveston, Lake Charles, and Slidell offices presented on various topics ranging from comparisons of past hurricanes to marine HAZMAT and Gulf of Mexico observations. Other presenters included Dr. Jack Beven (National Hurricane Center), Tim Osborn (NOAA Coastal Survey), and Dr. Roy Dokka (Louisiana State University Professor of Geo-Informatics).
"The workshop clearly highlighted the effects of hurricanes and other coastal weather hazards along the northern Gulf coast, and especially the Louisiana coast", said Andy Patrick Meteorologist-in-Charge of the National Weather in Lake Charles. "This was an excellent forum to emphasize some of the present and future coastal restoration developments for Louisiana.", he added.
A summary of the conference, with links to the presentations, can be found at: http://www.srh.weather.gov/lch/marine/2009GulfCoastMarineConference.php
Attendees of the 2009 Gulf Coast Marine Conference. (Photo: Tim Osborn, NOAA/Office of Coast Survey)
Roger Erickson (Warning Coordination Meteorologist WFO Lake Charles) presenting about the storm surge events endured since 1998 across the NWS Lake Charles area of responsibility. (Photo: Donovan Landreneau, WFO Lake Charles)