# Presentation: 201655

## CHALLENGES IN URBAN METEOROLOGYA Forum for Users and Providers 

- September 21-23 , 2004Doubletree Hotel and Executive Meeting CenterRockville, Maryland (USA)

## WELCOME AND OPENING  REMARKS

**Mr. Samuel P. Williamson**
**Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research**** **

## Welcome andOpening Remarks

- Challenges in Urban Meteorology:
- A Forum for Users and Providers
- Partners:
- Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate
- Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (OFCM)

## Welcome andAdministrative Remarks

- Thanks to everyone who has worked so hard to ensure the* Challenges in the Urban Meteorology: A Forum for Users and Providers *conference* *will be a success
- Special thanks to our forum partner, the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate
- Thanks to the distinguished key speakers, moderators, panelists, workshop chairpersons
- Thanks to the members of my staff at the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology
- A special “Thank You” to you, the participants of the conference, who will play an important role in making this forum a success

## Welcome andAdministrative Remarks

- Ms Erin McNamara--Conference Coordinator for Logistics
- Ms Margaret McCalla--Conference Coordinator for Agenda
- Ms Diana McQuestion--Registration Assistance
- Mr Kent P. LaBorde (NOAA Public Affairs)--Arranging  Media Events
- Lt Col Rob Rizza--Protocol and media co-coordinator
- Mr Ken Barnett/Ellis Godfrey--Audio/Visual Assistance (Note:  If you have not already done so, please turn in any slides you plan to present to Ken as soon as possible.)

## Forum Theme

***   ******Information to Improve Community Responses to Urban Atmospheric Hazards, Weather Events, and Climate***

- Severe Weather
- Homeland Security
- Air Quality
- Climate
- Water Quality

- Regional Ecosystem
- Planning and Management

- Research and Tech Tools

- Observing Sys

- Educ, Outreach, Training

- Risk Management

- Public Health and Safety

- Info Dissemination and Inter

- Surface Transportation

- Business Cont Planning

## Conference “Thoughts”

- Why an Urban Meteorology conference now?
- Escalating demands/competition for urban resources.
- Advancements in science and technology can substantially improve the accuracy and utility of weather and climate information in urban decision processes.
- Set the stage for better integration of multidisciplinary research to address urban weather and climate issues/concerns.

## Urban Meteorological ImpactsSevere Weather

- Urban Meteorological ImpactsSevere Weather

- Hurricane Isabel 2003:                 47 lives lost
- Mid-Atlantic Coast impacts:       $ 4.0B damage

- Hail Damage June 04:   $ 146M damage
- Denver:

- Tornados/Severe Storms Mar 00:     5 deaths
- Dallas/Ft Worth:                          $ 500M damage

- Tornados/Severe Storms May 03:     41 deaths
- TN/OH Valleys:                          $ 3.1B damage

## Urban Meteorological ImpactsHomeland Security

- Urban Meteorological ImpactsHomeland Security

- Events of 9-11-01:                2000 deaths
- New York/Pentagon:      $ 200 B damage

- Train Derailment May 02:     2200 evacuated Lansing, Michigan:

- 3-Mile Island Mar 79 - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania:
- 140,000 evacuate.  Aftermath: 5-mile evacuation plan deemed inadequate, 20-mile plan drawn up, calls for evacuation of 650,000

- Train Derailment May 00:  3500 evacuated
- Eunice,  Louisiana

## Urban Meteorological ImpactsAir Quality

- Urban Meteorological ImpactsAir Quality

- “At Risk” populations in some of the top 25 polluted cities in the U.S.

** ****LA: over 17,000,000**

**Dallas/Ft Worth: over 5,600,000**

** ****Fresno: over 950,000**

**NYC: over 21,500,000**

**Chicago: over 9,500,000**

**Data from:**
**American Lung Association *****State of the Air 2004***** report**
**http://lungusa.kintera.org/sota04pdf **

## Urban Meteorological ImpactsClimate

- Urban Meteorological ImpactsClimate

- 2003:  Southern California wildfires 743,000 ac burned, 3700 homes destroyed, 22 killed

- 2002:  Widespread over 30 states
- $10 B in damages

- 2000:  Western wildfires
- 7,000,000 ac burned, $2.1B in damages

- 2000:  Heatwave
- estimated 149 deaths

**DROUGHT**

**EL NINO**

## Conference “Thoughts”

- What should we expect to accomplish at this forum?
- Identify better ways to integrate, apply, and deliver weather and climate science and technology to urban decision makers and reduce high impact weather and climate risk
- Focus attention on the relationship of natural hazards to urban ecosystems and their management and facilitate the transfer of emerging science and technology
- Promote close collaboration and integration of multidisciplinary research to address weather and climate impacts on urban communities and improve forecasting for coastal and complex terrain areas
- Raise the level of concern on priorities needed for funding research and application of science and technology on urban weather and climate problems/issues