# Presentation: 856776

## Warning Operations and Workload Mitigation

- Jim LaDue and Liz Quoetone
- WDTB
- February 2007

**Notes:**
Welcome to a module on Situational Awareness maximization in warning operations.  This lesson is 37 slides long and should take 40 minutes to complete.   Jim LaDue and Liz Quoetone are the primary authors.   Rich Naistat, Steve Piltz and Dave Andra assisted with material and reviews.

## Learning Objectives

- According to this lesson you will be able to
- Understand the importance of planning staffing for effective sectorization before an event
- Understand the strategies to effectively change warning sectorizations during an event
- Understand strategies to keep effective warning operations going due to unforeseen changes in workload

**Notes:**
There are 3 objectives:
Understand the importance of planning staffing for effective sectorization before an event
Understand the strategies to effectively change warning sectorizations during an event
Understand strategies to keep effective warning operations going due to unforeseen changes in workload

## Performance Objectives

- A forecast team will be able to match sectorizing plans to available staffing and expected severe weather threats to create effective warning operations
- A forecast team can effectively maintain high priority severe weather operations when faced with rapid evolution in a severe weather event

**Notes:**
A forecast team will be able to match sectorizing plans to available staffing and expected severe weather threats to create effective warning operations
A forecast team can effectively maintain high priority severe weather operations when faced with rapid evolution in a severe weather event

## How we’ll do this

**How we’ll do this**

- Team

- Individual

**Notes:**
I’ll be looking at factors that enhance warning operations through team effectiveness.  I’ll be using the warning coordinator as the focus of the team. At the end, we’ll look at what impact individual effectiveness has on the whole operation.

## 4 factors in success for NWS warning events

**Notes:**
Here is an interaction explaining the four factors that determine the success, or hopefully not, the failure of warning operations.

## Elements of a Severe Weather Operations Plan (SWOP)

- Common goal (NWS Mission)
- Essential tasks accomplished efficiently
- Staffing levels and assignments appropriate for the severe wx threat
- Evaluation of office performance after each event

- Addressing the Science, Technological and
- Human Factors

**Notes:**
There are at least 5 important elements of an effective SWOP. The first is ensuring that everyone on the warning team has a common goal during operations. This goal should be to provide weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy (from NWS mission statement). As long as everybody keeps this mind during a severe weather event, and doesn’t worry about other factors (such as verification) the mission will be met. If everybody has a common goal, then it can help the warning team react in the face of difficult or unexpected events Each individual should know what he/she is doing as well as what everybody else is doing. The shift supervisor/event coordinator determines proper staffing levels to accomplish all tasks efficiently and directs the whole operation. The “Severe Weather Team” needs to maintain consistency but also flexibility with the changing weather situation and/or changes to operational demands (asked to provide backup, for ex.). It is important to assign staffing levels based on expected severe weather threat . After every event, the Team should review actions and evaluate performance from an operational standpoint (did the SWOP work as designed?) and a service standpoint (were the objectives of the mission met?).  

In additional, to ensure an effective SWOP, the 3 C’s must be met (more on next slide).

## Factors in an Effective SWOP

**Communicate**

**Cooperate**

**Collaborate**

- J. Eise

**Notes:**
One of the most important factors in a successful severe weather operational strategy is maximizing the three Cs : communication, collaboration, and cooperation. 

The staff must understand their roles and remain focused on severe weather detection, and upon information flow within, and out of the office. One of the  severe weather coordinator’s jobs is to make sure the “team” is maintaining this focus and not getting distracted by unimportant outside communication. 

John Eise (MKX) provided this graphic from his presentation. 

## Factors in an Effective SWOP

- Mitigation of negative stress

***Stress/Performance Curve***

***Stress***

***Performance***

**Team Building Associates (1997) **

**Notes:**
Stress, if not managed effectively can have an adverse impact on performance. The impact of excessive stress on teamwork is also harmful, and it can damage: 

individual work performance 
team performance 
working relationships 
cooperation between team members 
team spirit 

The more effort team members have to expend in managing their own stress, the less they have to contribute to teamwork and mutual support. Thus, a good SWOP can act to reduce stress and chaos in a warning situation, which can be a very stressful situation, if not handled properly. 

## Role of Severe Weather Coordinator

**Role of Severe Weather Coordinator**

**Oversees SWOP**

**Maintain high SA**

**Completes severe wx checklists**

**Human Factors:****  Maintains optimal SA**

**Technology:****  Ensures systems function well**

**Science:**** ****Pre event briefing, adapts the team to evolving situations**

**Message:****  ****Ensures a consistent outgoing ****message**

**Notes:**
Below are some of the duties of the Event Coordinator (often called the Severe Weather Coordinator). This individual is often the shift supervisor, or lead forecaster as scheduled for that shift, or held over from previous shift. Note that the position of Severe Weather Coordinator, to be effective performing all the listed duties, must not be  required to work at any severe weather position which requires, or may require, sustained dedicated attention (such as warning meteorologist, warning/statement writer, radio operator, etc.). Some of the important duties of the Coordinator include:
Making sure optimal SA has been achieved,
Making sure the office is matching the right science to the weather at hand,
Making sure systems run well,
Ensures a consistent message
Completes severe weather checklists.

## FAQ

## FAQ

## FAQ

**Notes:**
This is a checklist when your office has to deal with a disaster.  You may peruse the individual tabs to compare these actions with that of your office.

## Coordinating Human Factors Considerations for the Warning Coordinator

- There is a catastrophic failure
- Comm lines go down
-  A non-routine event occurs
- Have to do backup without the proper localizations
-  When responsibilities are unassigned
- New storm develops in a previously unmonitored sector

- Breakdowns occur when:

- Xiao et al 1998

**Notes:**
When we do a root cause analysis of warning operations failures, we find where the resiliency of a team is tested.  Breakdowns in a team effort can occur when 

There is a catastrophic failure
Comm lines go down
 A non-routine event occurs
Have to do backup without the proper localizations
 When responsibilities are unassigned
New storm develops in a previously unmonitored sector

These occurrences can test the most resilient warning team.  They are less likely to break you if you’ve got contingency plans in mind.

## Must understand how teams coordinate in a complex and dynamic work environment
With that understanding, we can anticipate when and why breakdowns are most likely to occur
Need to acknowledge the important role of non-verbal communication that can be crucial in certain situations
Value of familiarity

- With that understanding, we can anticipate when and why breakdowns are most likely to occur
- Need to acknowledge the important role of non-verbal communication that can be crucial in certain situations
- Value of familiarity

**Human Factors...cont**** ****Considerations for the Warning Coordinator**

- A suggested course to take:
- _[Field Operations Management](http://www.nwstc.noaa.gov/d.train/LEADER.HTML#MGT06)_

**Notes:**
The most difficult job for a warning coordinator is to understand your team member’s traits, habits, favorite work styles, etc.  You’re dealing with a group of individuals where you multiply the complexity of the group by the complexity of each member.  If you’re good at understanding your team, you have the best chance at intercepting a potential breakdown.  
As you’re well aware, most communications in a team occur nonverbally.  Nonverbal cues may be most likely the only ones that will let you know that someone is in over their head as disaster approaches.  I’ll talk more on another type of nonverbal communication coming up in the next page.

Understanding human behavior in team environments is not an easy task.  There is too much here for this one lesson to handle, however, if you are potentially a coordinator, and you haven’t done so yet, you may benefit from taking a leadership course such as the one linked here.

## NASA Study - around 1/3 of first officer monitoring and challenging failures were driven by face threat

- Hi - I’m Col.  Potter.  I’ve had 25 years of flying experience and we’re gonna fly right through there.

- Hi - I’m Capt Pierce.  This is my first day in the co-pilot seat.  And uh...ok.

**Human Factors...cont**** ****Considerations for the Warning Coordinator**

**Notes:**
If you’ve ever been intimidated by a person in authority, you are ripe for “face threat”.  That person in authority is in perceived authority.  That is, there are cases where managers may feel face threat from a subordinate.  A new forecaster is likely to feel face threat from a senior forecaster, especially if that senior forecaster has the right kind of reputation.  If face threat is rampant, expertise declines.  

NASA has been the subject of rather famous instances of face threat that ultimately led to disaster.  

My suggestion to you is that if you know the material, it is your responsibility to question any decision made by someone more senior than you if you have a difference in opinion.  Likewise, those of you may find out that you’re in a position of perceived authority.  You have the opportunity to play the role of a good mentor.  Listen seriously to those who consider you an authority and explain your reasoning should your opinion differ.  Afterall, someone more junior than you may have a valid point and also stands to learn from you. I hope that that both sides can have a mutually beneficial discussion that leads to building of expertise on all sides.

## Situational Awareness (SA)

- Low SA, low workload
- Don’t know anything, don’t want to know
- Low SA, high workload
- Don’t know anything, but am trying way too hard to find out
- High SA, high workload
- Do know plenty, but at great effort  (can’t keep this up for long!)
- High SA, low workload
- Do know, and it comes easily
*If you are not operating here....find out why and fix it!*

**Notes:**
Many of you have heard this term before applied to NWS warning environments.  You start out with low SA, low workload, where you don’t know anything and don’t want to know.  This level of SA doesn’t have anything to do about you experiencing a light event.

Next your workload has increased but you’re having a hard time figuring it out.  This level is analogous to a struggling student pulling all-nighters just to get by.  Likewise, you’re in a warning environment flooded with data that doesn’t actually give you any meaning.

Or, you could be dealing with flood of data and gaining something from it but at great cost to your well being.  This level of SA, you will perform well though you’re likely to experience a sudden breakdown.

Having high SA and low workload is the optimum warning environment.  Your goal is to see that you reach it.

## SA and Workload

- _Warnings are Level III SA_
- Perceive,
- comprehend,
- _project_

- _Decision to warn based on_
- Perception of information
- Comprehending the information
- Projecting the information forward in time
- Requires high ratio of forecaster to  # of storms
- Key: Sectorize (re-distribute workload)
- Assure staffing is appropriate

**I**

**II**

**III**

**Notes:**
You experience three levels of Situational Awareness. In some ways, you could make a comparison between situational awareness and consciousness. 

The first level occurs when you actually perceive an event, such as a train coming at you, however you do nothing because you do not comprehend the meaning or the name of that thing coming at you.  Likewise, you perceive a high reflectivities.

Level II occurs when you actually identify it as a train, and that it could cause harm.  You still don’t know how to react because you haven’t figured out a plan of action.  Likewise, you have comprehended those high reflectivities to be associated with large hail.

At level III, you identify that you’ve got to get off the tracks in one second or else...   Likewise, you forecast the track of large hail, forecasting its size and location with time along the way.  

In a decision-making cycle, you’re running through the three levels of SA as you perceive information, comprehend its meaning, then project forward in time as you make your decision.  These steps take time, and therefore you’ll find that you want a high ratio of forecasters to storms.  At some point, you’ll need to enact some strategies to keep a good ratio such as sectorizing.  This, of course, requires bodies.

Let me next show you how some offices in the field approach this strategy.

## Example 1: Warning Team – Marine WFO

- Typical Event
- Team is a warning forecaster and an assistant
- SVSs not split off
- Coordinator tasked with calls

***WS1***

* *

*CRS*

* *

***WS2***

* *

***WS3***

* *

***CRS***

* *

***WS5***

***WS4***

* *

**Long-term**
**(1 Met)**

**QC/River Flood**
**(1 HMT/Intern)**

** **

**Svr Wx Coordinator**
**(1 Met)**

**Short-term**
**(1 Met)**

**Warning **
**(1-2 Mets)**

**HAM (1 Person)**

**Storm Reports**
**(1 HMT/Intern)**

**Notes:**
This is an example of a light to moderate severe weather event setup (for ex., expecting organized convection, but no widespread or significant severe weather) from a marine WFO. Notice that to handle small events such as these, some of the positions combine duties such as QC (Quality control)  and River flooding . One HMT or Intern can usually handle these duties easily. Similarly, for the Warning Meteorologist position,  one to two mets can handle the duties of warning meteorologist (WM) and warning assistant (WA).  That would involve drawing up and submitting all warnings and SVSs in WarnGen.   Each dot represents a position being filled by someone.

In this scenario, the duty of making outgoing calls (to spotters, etc.) would fall to the Severe Weather Coordinator.

## Example #1a – Warning Team Marine WFO

***WS1***

* *

*CRS*

* *

***WS2***

* *

***WS3***

* *

***CRS***

* *

***WS5***

***WS4***

* *

**Long-term**
**(1 Met)**

**QC/River Flood**
**(1 HMT/Intern)**

** **

**Svr Wx Coordinator**
**(1 Met)**

**Short-term**
**(1 Met)**

**Warning **
**(1 Met)**

**HAM (1 Person)**

**Storm Reports**
**(1 HMT/Intern)**

**Public, Flash flood **
**(1-2 mets)**

**River Flood****(1-2 Hydro/intern)**

**Asst. Svr Wx Coordinator****(1 Met)**

**HAM (2 more)**

**SVSs**
** ****(2 Mets)**

**Marine/Aviation**
** ****(2 Mets)**

**QC**
** ****(1 HMT/intern)**

**Warning**
** ****(1 Met)**

- Major Event
- Warning forecaster and assistant
- Sectorizing by warning type (FF vs SVR)
- SVSs split off to form new team
- Flash Flood also does NOWs, SPSs

## Example #2: Inland Typical Event

**Example #2: Inland ****Typical Event**

- Warning Fcster
- All warnings, SVSs
- One or two geographic sectors
- Web graphics
- Two people staffing the radio and making probing calls

**Warning, SVSs**
** ****(Met)**

**Warning, SVSs**
** ****(Met)**

**Probing Calls**
**Ham Radio**
**(1staff)**

**Warning Coordinator**
**(1 Met)**

**CRS**
**(1 staff)**

**Web graphics**
**(1 Met)**

**Short Term**
**(1 Met)**

**Long Term**
**(1 Met)**

**SA Display and MSCFs**

**Notes:**
This office is a typical inland site with a fairly large CWA.
Here in a typical event, the warning team consists of perhaps 2 forecasters, each one is responsible for an end-to-end product suite (warnings, SVSs, pre-warnings).  One forecaster routinely updates web graphics on an hourly basis.  An additional two people make phone calls and occupy the radios.  One staff member monitors CRS. There is one warning coordinator.  The short and long-term desks are staffed. This office configuration has been designed such that every forecaster can monitor the SA display up front. 

## Example #2a:  Inland Big Event

**Example #2a:  Inland ****Big Event**

- Warning Fcster
- All warnings, SVSs
- More geographic sectors
- Web graphics
- Ham radio, CRS, probing calls all in the same area
- Layout focuses attention on large SA display and MSCFs

**Hydro Warning, FLSs **
** ****(1 Met)**

**Warning, SVSs**
** ****(1 Met)**

**Probing Calls**
**Ham Radio**
**(2 staff)**

**Warning Coordinator**
**(1 Met)**

**CRS**
**(1 staff)**

**Web graphics**
**(1 Met)**

**Short Term**
**(1 Met)**

**Warning, SVS **
**(1 Met)**

**SA Display and MSCFs**

**Warning, SVS **
**(1 Met)**

**2****nd**** Warning**
** ****Coordinator**
**(1 Met)**

**Public**
**(1 Met)**

**Notes:**
As this site goes to outbreak mode, more warning forecasters are added.  Typically, this staffing strategy requires more sectors because each forecaster is responsible for more products.  However, the flash flood warning responsibility may still be separated.  Any warning forecaster may take on flash flood responsibility.  A hydrologist may take over one workstation should main river flooding become a problem.

Note that there’s still a public forecaster, though that position may move to one of the side workstations.  Two or so people may occupy the ham radio desk.  Probing calls are made near the ham radios too.  

## Example #3 – Warning Team Inland WFO

**Example #3 – Warning Team Inland WFO**

**Inland WFO severe weather operations layout for “outbreak” events (Note 2 Warning Teams)**

- Inland WFO
- Workload mitigation through
- Warning Forecaster
- Assistant Warning Fcster
- Geographic sectors
- Up to 4 sectors

**Warning,Asst**
**Warn**
** ****(2 Met)**

**Short Term**
**(1 Met)**

**Long Term**
**(1 Met)**

**Warning Coord, Comms (2 Mets)**

**Warning,Asst**
**Warn**
** ****(2 Met)**

**CRS, Tech support**
**(1 HMT)**

**Amateur radio**
**(2 persons)**

**Notes:**
An alternative office layout showing positions for a potential severe weather outbreak event is from this inland site.  Here they have two warning teams at the two primary warning workstations with two people at each. They have enough workstations to accommodate up to 4 warning teams (each sectorized). 
The warning forecaster analyzes data
Makes decisions for all warning types
Starts Warngen then passes draft to asst.

The assistant warning forecaster completes warning on text workstation
Tracks warning status and reports
Writes SVSs
Assists warning met with meteorological analysis
Performs outbound comms
The mesoanalyst that is employed would end up sharing a workstation performing other Warning Assistant duties such as writing SVSs. 

## Warning Environments Review

- Warning forecaster, Asst Warning Forecaster
- More people on one sector
- Fewer sectors
- End to end warnings, SVSs
- Warning team, SVS team
- More people on one sector
- Fewer sectors
- SVS team may handle more than one sector
- warning forecaster
- One person on one sector
- End to end warnings, SVSs
- More sectors needed

**Notes:**
To review, here are the three popular warning operations strategies we’ve just covered.

Warning forecaster, Asst Warning Forecaster
More people on one sector
Fewer sectors
End to end warnings, SVSs
Warning team, SVS team
More people on one sector
Fewer sectors
SVS team may handle more than one sector
warning forecaster
One person on one sector
End to end warnings, SVSs
More sectors needed

## Sectorizing Management Review 

**Sectorizing Management Review **

- Sectorize by geography

- Metropolis

**1**

**2**

**3**

- Sectorize by storms

- Sectorize by product type

- FFW
- vs
- SVR, TOR

**Notes:**
We looked at three popular warning forecast team strategies in order to spread the load.  Now let’s see how each warning forecaster, or team may sectorize by looking at this hypothetical situation on radar.

Warning forecasters may divide responsibilities by geography, where certain fixed areas are the responsibility of one team.  Notice that a metro , or other sensitive area may be the responsibility of one warning team.  There are certain problems, say when the storms are approaching the metro area.  Does the team with sector 3 have to become very familiar with those storms?  You bet!  

Sectors by storms, can be divided too.  In this case, maybe the storms are broken up into easily manageable areas in which each warning forecaster, or team, follows them.  This way, the forecasters are familiar with the storm’s behavior and their environment.  Perhaps one team would take the storms approaching the metro area.   
A group may sectorize by hazard type, FFW vs SVR and TOR.   Most offices tend to have a separate FFW group or forecaster.  However, it’s not always necessary.  Those offices with one forecaster per sector may have more sectors, and therefore, more time to address all hazards.
Does an office have to stick with one way of sectorizing?  No.  An office may shift from geographical, to storm-based to hazard type, or even have a combination of two or more going simultaneously.  Don’t restrict yourself to a specific sectorizing game plan or the atmosphere will find a way to trash it.

## Reducing Workload

**Reducing Workload**

**Increasing Situational Awareness**

**Notes:**
What we’ve seen are strategies to increase SA by lowering workload.  There are team configurations of three offices represented, plus three ways of sectorizing. We’ve been talking about decreasing workload, or the number of products for which each forecaster is responsible.  An SA display doesn’t decrease the number of tasks each forecaster has to do, it just makes it easier to find out important information.  Many offices are including such overhead displays in their offices.  This one is handy because it shows a variety of TV stations, each with their own spotters and reporting staff, there are the web graphics displays (center right), one AWIPS display (center), the RPGs (below), and a tool showing warning expiration times (right).  Another display may show mesoanalysis graphics, buoy data, or anything else.  

Next we’ll discuss some challenges offices face when there’s a need to change sectors

## Warning_sector_quiz1

## Sectorize Challenges

- Avoiding pitfalls when
- Rev up a new sector
- Change the type of sectoring
- Adapt to an unexpectedly severe event

**Notes:**

Sometimes splitting warning operations up into sectors can result in less than desirable outcomes.  You may be faced with creating a new sector when a new warning team needs to get into gear.  Or perhaps you may change the type of sectoring such as splitting of a flash flood warning group from the severe warnings.  Or you are faced with the prospects of a bigger event than you anticipated.  

## Sector Addition Analogies

- Warning SA level
- Highest
- Medium
- lowest

- Warning Forecaster
- Short Term forecaster, SVS team,warning asst
- New forecaster, Public fcster

**Notes:**
Typically each forecaster has a certain level of SA based on his/her familiarity with her responsibility and the relevant weather.  For warning role, a warning forecaster has the highest level of SA of any forecaster in the office.  The only limitation on SA is fatigue and distraction.  Both tend to increase with time after a certain time has allotted and that will need to be addressed by the warning coordinator.  In this situation, either a warning forecaster needs to be retired or a new sector must be added as the weather goes more severe.  Ideally, the people with the second highest level of SA are the ones next to go into the hot seat.  Who that is depends on the office strategy (NOW, SVS team, Warning asst).  If some are taken from this pool, they need to be backfilled.  In this case, either a public, or routine ops forecaster goes into these positions, or a new forecaster comes in to play the role of NOW, SVS team, Warning assistant.  There’ll be either a continued need for more people at the top, or some attrition that will continue the need to bring more people to the bottom of the ladder.  An office typically does NOT take someone from the bottom of the SA ladder and stick him or her at the top without a careful transition.

## Shift Change

- Do you allow for the new forecaster to be a “copilot”?

**Notes:**
Another way to think about it is the copilot analogy.  The copilot would be the analogous role as the SVS team, NOW forecaster, and Warning Asst.

However, if you’re in a situation where a new forecaster must take over warning responsibilities, does your shift change allow enough time for a new forecaster to be warmed up?  It may help if you have a “copilot” over a transition period.  How long a transition that is depends on the weather, experience, work habits, and the technology (e.g., workstation configuration).  

## SA of Knowing You’re in Over Your Head

- When any of these happen (perception)
- You hear yourself saying:
- “I don’t have any time to do statements”
- "I don't have time to update TAFS (or anything).“
-  "I'm too busy to call in for extra help."
- "I can’t even go to the restroom.“
- The algorithms are doing most if not all of your storm interrogation
- No one is answering the phones

- It means this (comprehension)
- Workload is overpowering staffing
- You are in over your head
- A seed of disaster has been planted
- So you should do this (projection)
- Call a designated person to find you help or enact a recovery plan.

**Notes:**
What happens if you’re in over your head?  Sometimes this will happen despite our best efforts at managing our staff.  Listen to these cues

You hear yourself saying:
“I don’t have any time to do statements”
"I don't have time to update TAFS (or anything).“
 "I'm too busy to call in for extra help." 
"I can’t even go to the restroom.“
The algorithms are doing most if not all of your storm interrogation
No one is answering the phones

It means this (comprehension)
Workload is overpowering staffing
You are in over your head
A seed of disaster has been planted

So you should do this (projection)
Call a designated person to find you help or enact a recovery plan.

## When You’re Overwhelmed, What’s Your Priority?

- Team
- Warnings
- SVSs
- SPS, HWOs
- TAFs
- Grids

- Individual
- Warn for the Greatest threat
- Warn for the next greatest threat
- Interim SVS, FLSs
- Expiration SVSs, FLSs

- Ask your neighbor WFO to help with lower priority tasks

- If you’re the neighbor, have you called to offer help?

**Notes:**
As a team, think about the priority and the mission.  Warnings are most important (including Airport warnings).  They don’t have to be pretty to be effective.  Second, warning updates are next in importance.  Specials, Hazardous weather updates impact the warning situation.  We may also include graphical displays if they’re directly involved in the warning environment.  TAFs are next in line, and bringing up the rear are the Grids.  
Individual warning forecasters may also find themselves in trouble.  If there’s not enough time to interrogate storms, draft warnings, write SVSs, think about these priorities.  Warn for the storm with the greatest threat to life and property.  Get it out and address the next greatest threat.  Again, warnings don’t have to be refined and polished if there isn’t time.  Likewise, if there’s a need to draft multiple warnings, get those done before drafting interim SVSs. Finally, if there’s no time to cancel warnings, let them expire themselves.  

Consider that we’re going into clustered peer offices.  Now’s the perfect time to buck the culture and think of your neighbors.  Even if your neighbor hasn’t contacted you, consider an unsolicited offer.  Make this part of your strategy to collaborate with your neighbors over warnings and backup.

## Individual Storm Interrogation Process

**Report**

**S****creen**

**R****ank**

**I****ndividual  **

**D****ecide**

**0 sec**
**?? sec**
**?? sec**
**?? sec**
**?? sec**
**?? sec**
**?? sec**

**Warning Composition**

- Timing depends on urgency vs. careful analysis and composition

**Notes:**
Sometimes, you may feel overwhelmed if your efficiency has gone down.  There’s a host of reasons why but the important thing is how can you realign your thinking to concentrate on what’s most important.  
Imagine more than one warning due to expire at the same time.  Though you try to avoid being in such a situation, what happens if you do?  Follow these steps 
The storm interrogation process is one of the major components in a warning methodology. The process is heavily influenced by the previous threat assessment. The storm interrogation process is primarily storm-scale analysis via radar data (augmented by spotter reports and other inputs). The process can be remembered as  SRID, rhymes with SKID.  Initially you will screen and then rank storms in your CWA based on potential threat to life and property. After this, you can better determine which storms need further investigation. Step 3 is individually interrogating each storm to determine the threat of each hazard.  At step 4  you decide on the type of warning and storm motion, and begin composing your warning text and finally, send the warning out.  Spotter reports along this process tell you about what the storm is really doing.

How much time should this take?  It’s a matter of judging between the urgency to get something out vs. doing a careful analysis.  If you’ve perceived a strong threat to life and property, and you’re short on time, then the urgency of the situation that you get the warning out.  If you’ve got a strong threat but plenty of time, then you have the option of more carefully drafting a warning.  This is a subjective area in which experience will help you determine what’s a reasonable time for the given situation.
Every decision cycle, go ahead and ask yourself, “Am I ahead of the curve?”, “Do I have time to handle the storms for which I’m responsible”.

## Ranking Process(Or, determining which storms need further action)

- Depends on the Situation (If ...then)
- Immediacy of Threat
- Is there a warning about to expire?
- Is there a report?
- What storm poses the biggest threat to life and property?

**Notes:**
The ranking process is a step that flows sequentially from the initial screening process. At this juncture, you are trying to determine which storms need further interrogation. Ranking depends of the situation and often is decided based on the previous threat assessment and the initial screening of storms. Forecasters often rank storms (assuming no history and no prior reports) based on the immediacy of the threat.  If a warning is due to expire and the storm still has a high threat, it may be a serious contender for immediate attention.  If a storm report has been received, most likely that storm will get a #1 ranking at least in terms of initial interrogation order. For ongoing storms with existing warnings, you still will want to have an ranking order based on threat to life and property, but expiration times will be a ranking factor as well.   

## Individual Storm Interrogation Process

**Report**

**S****creen**

**R****ank**

**I****ndividual  **

**D****ecide**

**0 sec**
**?? sec**
**?? sec**
**?? sec**
**?? sec**
**?? sec**
**?? sec**

**Warning Composition**

- Timing depends on urgency vs. careful analysis and composition

**Product, workload check**

**Notes:**
Every decision cycle, go ahead and ask yourself, “Am I ahead of the curve?”, “Do I have time to handle the storms for which I’m responsible”.

## Warn_sector_quiz2

## Summary

- Role of a Severe Weather Operations Plan
- Role of a Severe Weather Coordinator
- Severe Weather Checklist (prior, during) an event
- Situational Awareness
- Office warning strategies (Asst Warn, SVS team, more individual warning fcsters)
- Sectorizations, Shifting Sector strategy
- Individual and office strategies to recognize and fix trouble

**Notes:**
Role of a Severe Weather Operations Plan
Role of a Severe Weather Coordinator
Severe Weather Checklist (prior, during) an event
Situational Awareness
Office warning strategies (Asst Warn, SVS team, more individual warning fcsters)
Sectorizations, Shifting Sector strategy
Individual and office strategies to recognize and fix trouble

## Acknowledgements

- Dave Andra
- Rich Naistat
- Steve Piltz
- Contacts
- Jim LaDue ( James.G.LaDue@noaa.gov )
- Liz Quoetone (Liz.Quoetone@noaa.gov)