CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066-
082>084-VTZ013>015-181200-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
800 AM EDT MON MAR 17 2008

...FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND 
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES REMIND YOU THAT MARCH 17 THROUGH 
MARCH 21 IS FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK.

TODAY...WE WILL REVIEW SOME OF THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 
NOAAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE USES TO PREDICT FLOODING.  

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEVELOPS AND USES TECHNOLOGICAL 
AND SCIENTFIC ADVANCES TO HELP FORECAST OUR RIVERS AND STREAMS 
AND PROVIDE FLOOD WARNINGS. IN ADDITION TO A NETWORK OF RAIN 
GAGES TO MEASURE RAINFALL...DOPPLER RADAR HAS THE ABILITY TO 
ESTIMATE RAINFALL BASED ON RAINFALL INTENSITY. RIVER MODELS 
ARE CONTINUOUSLY BEING IMPROVED TO INCLUDE RADAR RAINFALL 
ESTIMATES...AND BETTER SIMULATE RIVER AND STREAM FLOW. MOST 
IMPORTANTLY...OUR HYDROLOGISTS AND METEOROLOGISTS ARE HIGHLY 
TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED AT USING THE ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY TO 
IMPROVE FLOOD PREDICTIONS. 

RECENTLY...A FLASH FLOOD MONITORING PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED AT 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES NATIONWIDE. THIS PROGRAM 
ALLOWS FORECASTERS TO ZERO IN ON ANY PARTICULAR STREAM BASIN 
AND COMPARE RADAR ESTIMATED RAINFALL TO FLOOD THRESHOLDS FOR 
THAT PARTICULAR BASIN. WHEN THE ESTIMATED RAINFALL APPROACHES 
THE FLOOD THRESHOLD...FORECASTERS ARE ALERTED TO THIS STREAM 
BASIN. FORECASTERS FOCUS ON THE MOST VULNERABLE AREAS...AND 
PROVIDE MORE SPECIFIC FLASH FLOOD AND FLOOD WARNINGS. 

ANOTHER ADVANCEMENT IN RIVER FORECASTING IS THE ADVANCED 
HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE OR A H P S. THIS SYSTEM 
REPRESENTS THE ONGOING EFFORT TO MODERNIZE AND IMPROVE NOAAS 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HYDROLOGIC SERVICES. A H P S WILL 
PROVIDE IMPROVED RIVER AND FLOOD FORECASTS AND WATER 
INFORMATION. EVERYONE WHO MAKES DECISIONS BASED ON WATER 
INCLUDING FARMERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS...DAM OPERATORS AND 
WATER SUPPLY OFFICIALS CAN BENEFIT FROM A H P S. 

REMEMBER...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

TOMORROW WE REVIEW FLASH FLOODING.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NOAAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVER 
AND FLOOD FORECASTS...SIMPLY GO TO WWW.WEATHER.GOV AND 
THEN CLICK ON EASTERN NEW YORK OR ADJACENT WESTERN NEW ENGLAND. 

$$

OKEEFE/DIRIENZO