# Presentation: 526710

## NOAA’s National Weather ServiceMeeting America’s Needs

**Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, USAF (Ret.) *****NOAA Assistant Administrator for Weather Services***
***AMS Public Health Forum***
***April 16, 2007***

***“******America’s Weather Enterprise: Protecting Lives, Livelihoods, and Your Way of Life”***

## Presentation Overview

**The National Weather Service Overview**
***We’re In Your Neighborhood***
**The Nation’s Risks:**
**Extreme Climate, Weather, and Water**
**The Future**
**NWS and Public Health:  **
***A Prescription for America***

**NOAA’s National Weather Service**

## Provide climate, water, weather forecasts and warnings to protect life and property and enhance the economy
76 billion observations
1.5 million forecasts
50,000 warnings

**76 billion observations**
**1.5 million forecasts**
**50,000 warnings**

**A Typical Year Brings: **
***7 Hurricanes***
***1,000 Tornadoes***
***5,000 Floods***
***10,000 Violent Thunderstorms***
***Drought Conditions***
***500 Deaths; 5,000 Injuries; ******$14 Billion in Losses***

**NWS Overview**

## NWS Overview

***Minutes***

***Hours***

***Days***

***6 – 10 Days***

***8 – 14 Days***

***Months***

***Seasons***

***Years***

***Forecast ***
***Uncertainty***

**Protection of**
**Life & Property**

**Hydropower**

**Recreation**

**Ecosystem**

**State/Local**
**Planning**

**Environment**

**Flood Mitigation**
**& Navigation**

**Agriculture**

**Reservoir**
**Control**

**Health**

**Space****Operations**

**Transportation**

**Fire Weather**

**Energy**

**Outlooks**
**Guidance**
**Threats ****Assessments**
**Forecasts**
**Watches**
**Warnings & Alert ****Coordination**

**Forecast Lead Time**

**Benefits**

***Seamless Suite of Products***

**NWS Overview**

## NWS Overview Facilities

## NWS OverviewNOAA Weather Radio All Hazards

## The Nation’s Risks:Extreme Climate, Weather, and Water

## The Nation’s Risks:Extreme Climate, Weather, and Water

***Atlantic Tropical Cyclones since 1886***

**The Nation’s Risks:*****Extreme Climate, Weather, and Water***

## The Nation’s Risks:Extreme Climate, Weather, and Water

**Hurricane Katrina**

## The Nation’s Risks:Extreme Climate, Weather, and Water

**Photos by AP**

**Hurricane Katrina****Costly Human and Societal Effects**

**The Nation’s Risks:*****Extreme Climate, Weather, and Water***

## The Nation’s Risks:Extreme Climate, Weather, and Water

***Record***

**The Nation’s Risks:*****Extreme Climate, Weather, and Water***

## The Future  Action for America

**The Future  *****Action for America***

***NOAA—Total Environmental Awareness***

## The Future  Action for America

***Community Preparedness Campaigns***

**The Future  *****Action for America***

## The Future  Action for America

**The Future  *****Action for America***

## The Future  Action for America

**NOAA TEAM**

**END USERS**

**PARTNERS**

***Saving Lives Through Partnerships***

**The Future  *****Action for America***

## NWS and Public Health  A Call for Cooperative Action for America

**NWS and Public Health  *****A Call for Cooperative Action for America***

**Recognizing Public Health Sector can gain value from weather and climate predictions**
**Realizing Weather Enterprise potential for public health services**

## NWS and Public Health  A Call for Cooperative Action for America

**Public Health Connections**
**Direct effects on humans**** **
**Transportation accidents**** **
**Disruption of health infrastructure **
**Effects through changes in incidence of diseases (vector- , water-born, and otherwise) **
**Effects through safety and nutritional value of food supplies**
**Improved medical treatment**

**Weather Enterprise Examples**
**Temperature, Weather hazards, Wildfire, Solar, Ocean Conditions, Air Quality, Driving Safety, Climate**
**“****Bad” weather, Ocean Conditions, Floods, Climate**
**“****Bad” weather, Floods, Solar, Climate**
**Marine and  Coastal Ecosystems, Air Quality, Floods and droughts, Weather, Climate**
**Marine and  Coastal Ecosystems, Floods and droughts, Climate**
**Pharmaceuticals and marine natural products**** **

**Connecting Public Health and the Weather Enterprise**

## NWS and Public Health  A Call for Cooperative Action for America

**Heat extreme: Today’s high heat means drink plenty of water,  take rest breaks while exercising.**** **
**Good weather: It’s a great day to get out walk the dog. **
**...****and much more!   **

**Health Messages Broadcast By TV Meteorologists**

## NWS and Public Health  A Call for Cooperative Action for America

**Who should be responsible for educating the public health sector on weather, water and climate issues? **
**Who should disseminate it to the health sector?**
**Who in health sector should take on responsibility of receiving weather education?**
**Who will be decision makers for response to predictions?**

**Many Questions Remain Unanswered**

## NWS and Public Health  A Call for Cooperative Action for America

**NWS and Public Health  *****A Call for Cooperative Action for America***

**New Partners:  ***We share many parallels in goals, culture, and methods.*
**Public Health Role:  ***Take advantage of Weather Enterprise capabilities.*
**Weather Enterprise Role:  ***America’s Weather Enterprise products should support public health.***  **

**Prescription for Moving Forward**

## Slide 21