1 00:00:14,180 --> 00:00:20,280 Narrator: Weather-related hazards - like tornadoes, lightning, and flooding - cause thousands 2 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,580 of injuries and hundreds of deaths every year. 3 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:30,820 NOAA's goal is to build a Weather-Ready Nation - where communities are prepared for 4 00:00:30,820 --> 00:00:34,780 and respond appropriately to extreme weather events. 5 00:00:35,340 --> 00:00:40,379 To reach this goal, forecasters at NOAA's National Weather Service will need the best 6 00:00:40,380 --> 00:00:42,720 research and technology possible. 7 00:00:42,740 --> 00:00:46,780 This includes an even greater understanding of dangerous weather, 8 00:00:46,780 --> 00:00:52,430 the best tools for predicting hazards, and effective communication with the public. 9 00:00:52,430 --> 00:00:57,940 These are the challenges that drive researchers at NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory. 10 00:01:04,420 --> 00:01:11,540 >>One of the key advancement for the NEXRAD network has been dual polarization. It provides 11 00:01:11,540 --> 00:01:17,530 new information about what's happening in the storm and that information helps us to 12 00:01:17,530 --> 00:01:23,350 better predict precipitation amounts more accurately as well as to have better 13 00:01:23,350 --> 00:01:30,480 information about where hail is in a storm or even where a tornado may be located within 14 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:32,200 a storm. 15 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,770 >>Eventually, the NEXRAD network will need to be replaced. 16 00:01:35,770 --> 00:01:41,530 A possible candidate is phased array radar - which could provide multiple functions with 17 00:01:41,530 --> 00:01:42,530 a single antenna. 18 00:01:42,530 --> 00:01:45,390 It's key feature is faster updates. 19 00:01:45,390 --> 00:01:50,670 >>One of the reasons that that matters is that in some storm situations, things develop 20 00:01:50,670 --> 00:01:54,150 very quickly - for example, a tornado. 21 00:01:54,150 --> 00:02:00,340 Putting that kind of data in front of forecasters - we've determined that that key information 22 00:02:00,340 --> 00:02:07,860 that has been missing matters because they have been able to issue warnings earlier in 23 00:02:07,860 --> 00:02:12,460 a simulated operational environment. 24 00:02:12,460 --> 00:02:19,710 >>National Weather Service forecasters rely on computer models of the atmosphere to help 25 00:02:19,710 --> 00:02:21,970 them predict the weather. 26 00:02:21,970 --> 00:02:27,410 In an effort to improve these models, the Lab brings together researchers and forecasters 27 00:02:27,410 --> 00:02:30,529 in the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed. 28 00:02:30,529 --> 00:02:38,960 Is it possible to warn for hazardous weather such as tornadoes as much as an hour in advance? 29 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:44,560 Projects at the National Severe Storms Laboratory are aiming to answer this question. 30 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:50,090 Extra time is critical - especially for vulnerable populations or those responsible for large 31 00:02:50,090 --> 00:02:52,210 groups of people. 32 00:02:52,210 --> 00:02:57,350 Even before storm form, the Warn on Forecast project will give information 33 00:02:57,350 --> 00:03:02,430 about potential hazards - conveying the risk level as storms approach. 34 00:03:02,430 --> 00:03:07,100 The next step is making sure this risk information is clearly communicated to the public. 35 00:03:07,100 --> 00:03:12,600 >>The National Severe Storms Laboratory is incorporating more social and behavioral science 36 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:17,029 in its research because the issuance of a warning about tornadoes and high winds and 37 00:03:17,029 --> 00:03:21,720 hail is more than just the meteorology or the technology - it involves understanding 38 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:26,010 how people process the information to take the correct evasive action. 39 00:03:26,010 --> 00:03:32,330 >>Clear and simple communication is one of the elements in the FACETs project. 40 00:03:32,330 --> 00:03:36,170 Forecasters will be able to convey their confidence levels for weather hazards. 41 00:03:36,170 --> 00:03:37,440 >>National Weather Service. 42 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:38,440 This is John. 43 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:39,760 How may I help you? 44 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:43,970 >>When the Weather Service issues a tornado warning now, it's for a very large area and 45 00:03:43,970 --> 00:03:46,890 everybody in that area gets the same message. 46 00:03:46,890 --> 00:03:52,949 What we are doing with facets is honing in on the area where the threat is greatest and 47 00:03:52,949 --> 00:03:58,920 individuals will get their own bit of information every half-mile, updated every two minutes, 48 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:05,940 so that it becomes a personal forecast telling you exactly what your risk is at that location. 49 00:04:05,940 --> 00:04:11,619 >>A tool for predicting lightning strikes is another project at the National Severe 50 00:04:11,619 --> 00:04:13,330 Storms Lab. 51 00:04:13,330 --> 00:04:18,669 By comparing historical data to current observations along with computer models, researchers are 52 00:04:18,669 --> 00:04:23,699 exploring the possibility of pinpointing areas where lightning could occur as much as an 53 00:04:23,699 --> 00:04:24,949 hour in advance. 54 00:04:24,949 --> 00:04:28,990 >>We've seen forecasters really gravitate to this just because there's not a product 55 00:04:28,990 --> 00:04:33,400 that they get in the field right now that does the kind of capability and emergency 56 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,920 managers have been particularly receptive because it can help them do their day-to-day 57 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:46,420 job better especially when they have to provide support for outdoor venues, events, and festivals. 58 00:04:46,420 --> 00:04:55,480 >>Improving flash flood forecasts starts with the tools developed at the Lab. 59 00:04:55,480 --> 00:05:02,270 The Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor system integrates water information including rainfall estimates. 60 00:05:02,270 --> 00:05:06,810 These data are then fed into a computer model known as FLASH what 61 00:05:06,810 --> 00:05:12,439 makes FLASH innovative is that it takes into account land surface characteristics and identifies 62 00:05:12,439 --> 00:05:14,280 areas likely to flood. 63 00:05:14,280 --> 00:05:19,200 >>So in other words if we have four inches in an hour, that might be a serious rainfall 64 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,970 amount in one location but not in another location. 65 00:05:21,970 --> 00:05:27,770 Is this going to lead to a flash flooding situation or not that's what FLASH is intended 66 00:05:27,770 --> 00:05:28,770 to do. 67 00:05:28,770 --> 00:05:34,330 >>With better prediction models, forecasters can identify when and where flash flooding 68 00:05:34,330 --> 00:05:39,190 is likely to occur - as well as how severe the impacts will be. 69 00:05:39,190 --> 00:05:44,940 Then local emergency management can take action to aid the public and even evacuate during 70 00:05:44,940 --> 00:05:53,540 these deadly situations. 71 00:05:53,540 --> 00:05:58,540 Since 1964, the Lab has been dedicated to strengthening the ability of the National 72 00:05:58,540 --> 00:06:04,040 Weather Service to observe, predict, and warn the public during severe weather events. 73 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:08,599 >>The result of all this activity has been that over the past 50 years of our existence 74 00:06:08,599 --> 00:06:14,270 of the Laboratory, we have worked to save literally thousands of lives. 75 00:06:14,270 --> 00:06:20,170 NOAA's goal of building a Weather-Ready Nation is a mission shared by the Lab and its researchers. 76 00:06:20,170 --> 00:06:27,120 >>It allows scientists to come and work on scientific problems that are relevant to the 77 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:33,440 real world and have applications to society where we can make a difference in the science 78 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:35,260 that we do.