Number range CHAPTER **CHAPTER 1**

**RESPONSIBILITIES OF COOPERATING AGENCIES**

**1.1 [General.]{.underline}** Cooperation and communication among
agencies that provide essential meteorological data, information, and
dissemination services is the basis for ensuring that users receive the
best possible warnings and forecasts of severe local storms. This
coordination is achieved through the activities of the Committee for
Environmental Services, Operations and Research Needs (C/ESORN) and the
Joint Action Group for Severe Local Storms Operations (JAG/SLSO) in the
Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and
Supporting Research (OFCM). The Departments represented in this National
Severe Local Storms Operations Plan (NSLSOP) have agreed to arrangements
to promote the most effective use of their weather-related assets with
respect to severe local storm operations. Between major revisions to
this plan, changes will be promulgated by a Change Notice. Once
received, the changes should be made to the plan and noted in the Change
and Review Log on page ii.

**1.2 [Scope.]{.underline}** The procedures and agreements contained
herein apply to all of the 50 United States and the US Territories of
Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam. The plan defines
the roles of the individual agencies participating in the severe local
storm warning service when more than one agency is involved in the
delivery of service in a specific area. When a single agency is involved
in any specific area, that agency's procedures should be contained in
internal documents and, to the extent possible, be consistent with the
NSLSOP practices and procedures.

**1.3 [Department of Commerce (DOC) Responsibilities.]{.underline}** The
Department of Commerce (DOC), through the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is charged with the overall
responsibility to implement a responsive, effective national severe
local storms warning service.

**1.3.1 National Weather Service (NWS).** The NWS shall provide timely
dissemination of forecasts, warnings and all significant information
regarding severe local storms to the appropriate agencies, marine and
aviation interests, and the general public. Specifically, NWS will
provide:

-   Basic surface, upper air, buoy, and radar observations from its
    network of observing sites.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Additional observations, when required. These observations will be
    transmitted to any requesting agency by the appropriate
    communications technologies.

-   Basic analyses, forecast charts, and radio facsimile charts through
    the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Central
    Operations (NCO), Camp Springs, Maryland.

-   Severe Local Storm Outlooks and Watch Bulletins through the NCEP
    Storm Prediction Center (SPC), Norman, OK.

-   Dissemination of severe weather and flash flood warnings and
    statements

issued by Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) throughout the United States.

-   Aviation In-flight Weather Advisories issued through the NCEP
    Aviation Weather Center (AWC) with aviation responsibilities for
    periods up to 6 hours for aircraft (civilian and military) and
    amendments as appropriate.

-   A concerted effort to collect and relay Pilot Reports (PIREPs) in

conjunction with the FAA.

-   Appropriate public educational materials concerning the severe local
    storms/flash flood watch/warning service and development of
    community preparedness plans in accordance with the Federal
    Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)/National Oceanic and Atmospheric
    Administration (NOAA) Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the
    Coordination of Emergency Responsibilities.

-   Point of Contacts from SPC and AWC to coordinate with Air Force
    Weather Agency (AFWA) on backup.

**1.3.2 National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service
(NESDIS).** The NESDIS shall:

-   Operate satellite systems capable of providing coverage of selected
    portions of the United States and adjoining coastal areas.

-   Receive and respond to requests for coverage of specific areas and
    times. These requests may come from NCEP, a WFO, or appropriate USAF
    stations through the NCEP Senior Duty Meteorologist (SDM) in NCO and
    NESDIS Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB), according to the NESDIS/NWS
    Satellite Schedule Coordination and Dissemination Procedures (August
    2000).

-   Provide appropriate satellite data to authorized research
    facilities.

-   Coordinate with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    (NASA) on providing data from its Research and Development (R&D)
    satellites to NOAA operational units for use on an as-required
    basis.

**1.4 [Department of Defense (DOD) Responsibilities.]{.underline}**

**1.4.1 U. S. Air Force (USAF).** Air Force Weather (AFW) is responsible
for weather support to USAF, U.S. Army, Army and Air National Guard, and
Air Force and Army Reserve units, and other DOD customers throughout the
world. It will provide:

-   Basic surface, upper air, and radar observations from its network of
    stations making such observations.

-   Additional observations when required and make selective,
    non-sensitive, reports available to civil agencies through existing
    communications with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or, with
    prior Department of Defense (DOD) approval, directly.

-   A concerted effort to collect and relay all PIREPs.

-   Will transmit NWS products for severe weather to CONUS DOD agencies
    via the USAF communications system.

-   The Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) at Offutt Air Force Base (AFB),
    Nebraska will provide mesoscale model backup to NCEP's NCO during
    emergency situations when requested.

-   AFWA will provide immediate backup responsibilities to NCEP

-   AFWA will provide immediate backup responsibilities to SPC and AWC
    during emergency situations.

-   Through Operational Weather Squadrons (OWSs) at Barksdale AFB,
    LA;Scott AFB, IL; Davis Monthan AFB, AZ; and Hickam AFB, HI, provide
    weather watch, warning, and advisories for all Air Force and Army
    installations including Guard and Reserve forces in their assigned
    areas of responsibility.

**1.4.2 U. S. Army (USA).** The Active, National Guard, and Reserve
components of the Army rely on the appropriate Air Force Operational
Weather Squadron (OWS) as their primary weather provider, with back-up
from another OWS. Within the CONUS, the Army can rely on SPC and NWS
severe weather products and NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) for weather warning
support when both the supporting OWS and back-up organizations are
incapable of providing support.

**1.4.3 U. S. Navy (USN) and U. S. Marine Corps (USMC).** The USN and
USMC

Meteorological and Oceanographic services operate under a local severe
local storms warning service monitored by a regionalized command in
support of the Department of Navy, vice a centralized severe local
storms warning service. Within the conterminous United States and
offshore waters, requirements for early warnings of hazardous flying
conditions and local destructive phenomena are met by NWS, AFWA, and
Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) products
interpreted locally by personnel of the Naval Meteorology and
Oceanography Command (NAVMETOCCOM) and the Marine Corps Meteorological
and Oceanographic (METOC) Service units. Full use is made of information
received from NOAA dissemination sources, as well as other military and
civil weather circuits. They will provide:

-   Basic surface, upper air, and radar observations, including those
    taken at sea, from its worldwide network of stations making such
    observations.

-   Additional observations when required and make all such reports
    available to civil agencies through existing communications with
    Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or, with prior Department of
    Defense (DOD) approval, directly.

-   A concerted effort to collect and relay PIREPs.

-   Limited backup of NCO through FNMOC.

**1.5 [Department of Transportation (DOT)
Responsibilities.]{.underline}**

**1.5.1 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).** The FAA shall provide:

-   Basic surface weather observations from its network of observing
    sites.

-   Preflight and inflight pilot weather briefings, within designated
    airspace, which include Airmen\'s Meteorological Information
    (AIRMETs), Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMETs),
    Convective SIGMETs and urgent pilot reports (UUAs), to pilots on a
    routine basis.

-   Dissemination/broadcast of AIRMETs, SIGMETs, Convective SIGMETs,
    UUAs and other hazardous weather advisories via voice and recorded
    broadcasts.

**1.5.2 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).** The FHWA will:

-   Act as a liaison to State Departments of Transportation and promote
    their use of Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) for the
    dissemination of severe local storm information (e.g., Variable
    Message Signs, Highway Advisory Radio, 511, etc)

-   Work towards assimilating Road Weather observations through systems
    made available through surface weather observing systems, e.g.,
    MADIS or *Clarus* into the broader weather observation networks

**1.6 Department of Homeland Security (DHD) Responsibility**

**1.6.1 U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).** The USCG will provide:

-   Cmmunications circuits for relay of weather observations to NWS in
    selected areas.

-   Coastal broadcast facilities at selected locations for weather
    forecasts, watches and warnings.

-   Personnel, vessel, and communications support to the National Data
    Buoy Center (NDBC) for development, deployment, and operation of
    moored environmental data buoy systems.

-   Surface observations to NWS from its coastal facilities and vessels.

**1.6.2 [Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Responsibilities.]{.underline}** FEMA

will:

-   Develop and maintain communications systems in partnership with NWS
    to ensure that the emergency management community is provided with
    access to a set of NWS products at no recurring cost.

-   

-   Operate an interstate hot line telephone system that connects FEMA
    Warning Points and WFOs.

-   Develop and maintain a HAZUS (HAZUS) flood model, to be issued in
    2009, that can estimate risk and damage, both on annualized loss
    basis and on a deterministic basis.

-   Develop and maintain a HAZUS preview CONUS hurricane model, to be
    issued in 2003, that can estimate risk and damage, both on
    annualized loss basis and on a deterministic basis.

**1.7 [Department of Energy (DOE) Responsibilities.]{.underline}** Other
than forwarding surface observations to appropriate points of contact
during a severe storm, DOE and the National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA) do not have the capability to provide forecasts or
warnings to others. The DOE and NNSA sites/facilities rely on the NWS
for forecasts, warnings and all significant information regarding severe
local storms.

DOE and NNSA may provide resources, assets, personnel and expertise to
others following a severe local storm either through the DOE Emergency
Assistance Program or through an Energy Emergency response (per DOE
Order 15 1. 1 C). These activities may be initiated to support
interagency plans, Presidential direction, and State, local, or Tribal
agreements of mutual aid.

In the event of a severe storm at a DOE or NNSA site, DOE may activate
its Headquarters Emergency Operations Center to receive, coordinate and
disseminate emergency information to the White House, other Federal
agencies, and other appropriate emergency points of contact.

**1.8 [Department of the Interior (DOI) Responsibilities.]{.underline}**
The U.S. Geological Survey will provide water level and stream flow data
on a near-real-time basis needed for the National Weather Service River
Forecast Centers to issue flash flood warnings at locations throughout
the United States.

**1.9 [Exchange of Data and Products Between Agencies.]{.underline}**
There shall be a mutual exchange of relevant data and products on the
part of all concerned agencies outlined in Chapter 1. SPC and AFWA are
the units responsible for preparing centralized severe weather
forecasts. These forecast products will be exchanged between them, since
AFWA provides limited backup for SPC. NESDIS, National Severe Storms
Laboratory (NSSL), SPC, and AWFA are actively engaged in developing
objective severe weather forecasting and analysis techniques. These
organizations will engage, whenever possible, in a joint technique
development program and will exchange any objective techniques
developed.