Rescue during "Raging Winds" exercise (Photo: WFO Mobile)
The purpose of the mission was to test hurricane preparedness and rescue capabilities of personnel from a host of federal, state and local agencies. In addition to the National Weather Service, participants included Alabama State Troopers and Marine Police, local and state emergency management personnel, local fire and rescue agencies and members of Homeland Security.
"The operation was a real time simulation which included active search and rescue in an area deemed to have been "cut off" by a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, where helicopter rescue was the only means of life-saving support," said Mobile Meteorologist-in-Charge Jeffrey Cupo.
Mobile Senior Forecaster Don Shepherd and Meteorologist Intern Morgan Barry provided critical mission support with continuous on-site weather monitoring and frequent updates. Their briefings featured both aviation and marine forecasting for both helicopters and boats involved in rescue operations.
The on-site team provided an overall morning weather briefing for all participants, as well as numerous updates for operation commanders on an "as needed" basis throughout the exercise. They also conducted interviews with local news media concerning the role of the National Weather Service in these types of exercises.
The National Weather Service is working with a vast network of partners to build a Weather-Ready Nation. This network includes other government agencies, emergency managers, researchers, the media, the insurance industry, non-profit organizations, the private business sector and the academic community.
Through events like the Mobile exercise, a series of symposiums and workshops, NOAA and the NWS are engaging these partners to assess how the nation can become less vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather, which is increasing in frequency. Initial feedback from such events has identified some key action items to increase weather-readiness in the future.
To learn more about other specific Weather-Ready Nation efforts and how the vision is taking shape, visit http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation.
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