Tsunami Products Improvement Team Briefing (February 7, 2012)

1. Tsunami Products Improvement Team Briefing(February 7, 2012)

2. Team Composition Sally Pavlow-Johnson (Co-Lead; NWS Liaison to FEMA) Troy Nicolini (Co-Lead; Warning Coordination Meteorologist) John Schelling (State Perspective) Vankita Brown (NWS, Social Scientist) Ed Tirado (WFO San Juan; ITO & Union Rep.) Wayne Presnell (NWSH Marine & Coastal Services) Brian Brong (WFO Reno; Formatter expert) Jeff Lorens (WRH; Operational Tsunami Perspectives)

3. Clear Concise Consistent Easily understood

4. Team Approach • Outside looking in, no constraints • Focus of team: • Warning Products • Tsunami Local Statement • Did not address “Information Statements/Bulletins” • Work with TWCs – consensus approach

5. Clear Two products – One for humans with no computer code One for computers with all the computer code

6. Computer Code

7. Computer product: • Automated generation by TWCs • Contains VTEC and UGC codes • For use by NWS hazard displays, The Weather Channel, & other external users • Could consider adding other info as needed for automated purposes – such as text for EAS alerts.

8. Clear = Readable • New format uses: • Sections • Headings • Underlines • Blank lines • Bullets • Indents

9. Clear = Readable • New format uses: • Sections • Headings • Underlines • Blank lines • Bullets • Indents • Mixed case

10. Clear = Readable Underlined Section headings for emphasis Blank lines between bullets for clarity 3 Blank lines between sections for clarity

11. Clear = ConsistentConsistent Section Headings and Order

12. Clear = ConsistentConsistent Section Headings and Order

13. Clear = ConsistentConsistent Section Headings and Order

14. Clear = ConsistentConsistent Section Headings and Order Between Events Between Warning Centers Between domestic and international

15. Clear = ConsistentConsistent order of observation/forecast points Clockwise for North America

16. Clear = ConsistentConsistent order of observation/forecast points Clockwise

17. ClearUpdated Info

18. Concise Go with non-segmented products • Considerably reduces length (and repetition) • e.g. NEW vs. OLD format length: NewOld%Reduction • # characters: 3811 6891 45% • # words: 720 1165 39% • # lines: 143 216 34% • # pages: 3 5 40% • Easier for users to get the information they need for their area, but retains info for the entire event (keeps the big picture intact)

19. Concise Remove “static” information • Latitude/Longitude at forecast points (where appropriate) • Could provide this information via other means, e.g. GIS layers or new “TSV” product

20. Concise Remove “static” information • Generic definitions (too general; attempt was to cover all bases, but reduced the power of the words) • Definition says: “IMMINENT OR EXPECTED” or “IS POSSIBLE” • While other parts of the product says: “IS OCURRING”

21. In place of static definitions • Fold definition content into event specific, and time of event specific: Impact Statements Recommended Actions

25. Three phases to an event: • Has not impacted any areas “EXPECTED” • Has impacted some areas but not others “IMMINENT OR OCCURING” • Has impacted all areas “OCCURING”

26. Easily Understood • Ease of understanding supports decision-making • Propose a single easy-to-understand warning product • Eliminate “Public” product; one “human” warning product which is clear and understandable for all users

27. Easily Understood Eliminate unnecessary wording and “disclaimers” Use plain language Better emphasize key words and phrases Make it personal: “If you are in a warning area…”, not “Persons in warning areas…”

28. Easily Understood Current: Proposed: IF YOU ARE IN A TSUNAMI WARNING COASTAL AREA... MOVE INLAND TO HIGHER GROUND.

29. Easily Understood Current: ESTIMATED TIMES OF INITIAL WAVE ARRIVAL Proposed: FORECAST START OF TSUNAMI

30. Easily Understood English-only units of measurement for domestic locations. Realistic precision Self-explanatory table headings

31. Easily Understood

32. Improved Clarity + Realistic PrecisionAdd Tide Levels and Updated Observations Users want to know: How high will the water really get? How high so far? “how high’s the water mama?” Johnny Cash

33. Summary • Human product / Computer Product • Readability with indents, bullets, blank lines, etc. • Consistency in sections and order of sections • Consistency in presentation of geographic info • Flag updated information • One, non-segmented human product • Remove static information where possible • Plain, strong, and personalized language

34. Thank you!

35. Discussion point Make the TSU the “human product” and create a new TSV for the computer product. or Convert the existing TSU into the computer product and convert the existing public product into the human product.