NOUS42 KCHS 031851 PNSCHS GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>051-051200- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 251 PM EDT THU APR 3 2008 TO... FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS... NOAAPORT SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS...NWS EMPLOYEES FROM... MICHAEL EMLAW METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC SUBJECT... IMPLEMENTATION OF AIR QUALITY FORECASTS AND AIR QUALITY ALERTS FOR THE CHARLESTON TRI-COUNTY AREA...EFFECTIVE MAY 15 2008 ON MAY 15 2008...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON IN COORDINATION WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL /DHEC/ WILL BEGIN SEASONAL OZONE AIR QUALITY FORECASTS AND ALERTS FOR CHARLESTON...BERKELEY AND DORCHESTER COUNTIES. OZONE AIR QUALITY FORECASTS...PRODUCED BY DHEC EACH AFTERNOON...WILL UTILIZE THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY/S FIVE COLOR CODE SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO ALERT THE PUBLIC TO THE POTENTIAL FOR HAZARDOUS GROUND LEVEL OZONE. COLOR CODE AIR QUALITY INDEX DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------- GREEN 0-50 GOOD YELLOW 51-100 MODERATE ORANGE 101-150 UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS RED 151-200 UNHEALTHY PURPLE 201-300 VERY UNHEALTHY WFO CHARLESTON WILL ISSUE A DAILY OZONE AIR QUALITY FORECAST AROUND 330 PM EDT EACH AFTERNOON BASED ON DHEC/S EVALUATION OF WHAT THE AIR QUALITY LEVEL WILL BE FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE FORECASTS WILL BE ISSUED SEASONALLY...RUNNING FROM APRIL 1 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30. WFO CHARLESTON WILL ALSO ISSUE AN AIR QUALITY ALERT WHENEVER THE OZONE FORECAST IS DETERMINED TO BE CODE ORANGE...RED OR PURPLE. THIS ALERT WILL WILL BE DISSEMINATED TO LOCAL MEDIA USING THE COMMUNICATIONS HEADERS FOUND BELOW AND WILL BE BROADCAST ON NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS. USERS MUST ADD THE FOLLOWING PRODUCT HEADERS TO THEIR COMMUNICATIONS DATABASE TO BEGIN RECEIVING THE OZONE AIR QUALITY FORECAST AND AIR QUALITY ALERT PRODUCTS. PRODUCT WMO HEADING AWIPS ID OZONE AIR QUALITY FORECAST AEUS72 KCHS AQICHS AIR QUALITY ALERT AEUS72 KCHS AQACHS EXAMPLE 1 -- OZONE AIR QUALITY FORECAST... /BEGIN EXAMPLE/ AEUS72 KCHS DDHHMM AQICHS OZONE AIR QUALITY FORECAST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 409 PM EDT MON MAR 24 2008 THIS OZONE AIR QUALITY FORECAST FOR THE CHARLESTON TRI-COUNTY AREA IS PROVIDED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL. THE FORECAST IS VALID FOR TUESDAY. THE OZONE AIR QUALITY FORECAST FOR CHARLESTON...BERKELEY AND DORCHESTER COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITY OF CHARLESTON IS GREEN OR IN THE GOOD CATEGORY. && AIR QUALITY INDEX INFORMATION... COLOR CODE AIR QUALITY INDEX DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------- GREEN 0-50 GOOD YELLOW 51-100 MODERATE ORANGE 101-150 UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS RED 151-200 UNHEALTHY PURPLE 201-300 VERY UNHEALTHY SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL WWW.DHEC.SC.GOV/OZONE 1-803-898-4123 $$ /END EXAMPLE 1/ EXAMPLE 2 -- AIR QUALITY ALERT... AEUS72 KCHS DDHHMM AQACHS AIR QUALITY ALERT MESSAGE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 800 AM EDT TUE MAR 25 2008 SCZ044-045-050-262300- DORCHESTER-BERKELEY-CHARLESTON- 800 AM EDT TUE MAR 25 2008 ...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM WEDNESDAY TO 9 PM EDT WEDNESDAY... THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL HAS ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY...IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM WEDNESDAY TO 9 PM EDT WEDNESDAY. A CODE ORANGE AIR QUALITY ALERT FOR OZONE HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR DORCHESTER...BERKELEY AND CHARLESTON COUNTIES. THIS MEANS THAT GROUND LEVEL OZONE CONCENTRATIONS WITHIN THE CHARLESTON TRI-COUNTY AREA WILL LIKELY EXCEED UNHEALTHY STANDARDS FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS. CODE ORANGE MEANS CHILDREN...ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH RESPIRATORY DISEASE SUCH AS ASTHMA SHOULD LIMIT PROLONGED OUTDOOR EXERTION. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...PLEASE VISIT THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL WEB SITE AT WWW.DHEC.SC.GOV/OZONE. $$ /END EXAMPLE 2/ QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE AQA OR AQI PRODUCTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO... MICHAEL EMLAW METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 5777 SOUTH AVIATION AVE NORTH CHARLESTON SC 29406 PHONE... 843-744-2236 EMAIL... MICHAEL.EMLAW@NOAA.GOV $$ ST