Crosscut Assessment of Hydrometerological Products, Services, and Supporting Research

1. Crosscut Assessment of Hydrometerological Products, Services, and Supporting Research Mary M. Cairns OFCM

2. Overview • Background • Discussion • Who should be involved? • Objectives • ICMSSR Action • Agency Briefings • CESORN Action

3. Background • Feedback from several Federal agency reps, like NWS, USGS, and USACE, indicates that the time is right • The OFCM is committed to conducting an assessment devoted to hydrometeorology • Recent events (e.g., Hurricane Katrina, midwest flooding) accentuate the need to examine hydrometeorological impacts and user needs

4. Discussion • With regard to hydromet products and services, outreach conducted by the NWS indicates that there is growing need for: • Uncertainty information for risk management and decision making • Products in geographically referenced formats • Expanded use of the Internet and other emerging communications/dissemination technologies

5. Discussion (2) • An April 2007 BAMS article—Hydrologic Verification—Edwin Wells, et.al., makes two key points: • Without conducting continuous and comprehensive verification, it is not possible to know what needs to change in order to improve forecast skill • By focusing hydrologic research on forecasting, a new branch of the hydrologic discipline -- a hydrologic forecast science -- will develop • Both are great assessment issues that need to be addressed on a Federal interagency basis

6. Who should be involved? • Federal agencies: • NOAA (NWS and NOS) • Interior (USGS, BLM, FWS, and NPS) • Agriculture (WAOB and NRCS) • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers • Homeland Security (FEMA and USCG) • EPA • NASA

7. Who should be involved? (2) • Users of Federal information: • National Emergency Management Association • International Association of Emergency Managers • National Hydrologic Warning Council • American Meteorological Society • Media (TWC and other TV broadcasters) • Others

8. Objectives • Define the needs and requirements for hydrometeorological products, services, and supporting research for the Federal agencies and the customers they support • Investigate agency plans and alternatives for satisfying new requirements • Create agency partnerships to better leverage subject-matter expertise and resources to meet the growing needs for better hydromet products and services

9. ICMSSR Action ICMSSR Action Item 2007-1.6: Crosscutting Assessment. ICMSSR referred the matter of a proposed crosscutting assessment of federal agency hydrometeorological products, services, and supporting research, to the Committee for Environmental Services, Operations, and Research Needs (CESORN) for action.

10. Agency Briefings Mr. Glenn Austin, NOAA/NWS Mr. Mike Matthews, DHS Ms. Marge Davenport, USGS Mr. Eric Luebehusen, USDA

11. CESORN Action Support the need for a crosscutting assessment of Federal agency hydrometeorological products, services, and supporting research Establish a Joint Action Group for the National Hydrometeorological Needs Assessment (JAG/NHNA) to conduct this activity

12. QUESTIONS?