Members of the press gather for the news event, which was broadcast
nationally via satellite. |
|
Master of Ceremonies - Reid Hardy, Wrightsville Beach, Chamber of Commerce |
|
Mayor Avery Roberts, Wrightsville Beach |
VADM Conrad Lautenbacher, NOAA Administrator |
Jim
Lushine, NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Miami, FL |
Dr.
Wendy Carey, Delaware Sea Grant, Coastal Processes Specialist |
B.
Chris Brewster, President, United States Lifesaving Association |
Peter Davis,
Chair, USLA Public Education Committee |
Sandee
LaMotte, Community Director, WebMD, with her two children Ryan and
Krysta. Sandee is the widow of Larry LaMotte, one of CNN's first bureau
chiefs and a longtime CNN correspondent who drowned while trying to
rescue his 12 year old son on June 11th, 2003. |
 
NOAA's Ocean Service, the National Weather Service and the
University of North Carolina-Wilmington recently joined together to
install a new tidal and wave gage station on the nearby Johnny Mercer
Pier--an observation point that will assist in the development of more
accurate and timely warnings for hurricanes, other ocean storms, and
coastal flooding. The wave gage (being held by VADM Conrad Lautenbacher)
is the perfect equipment needed for enhancing rip current predictions. |
VADM Conrad Lautenbacher gives a TV interview. |
NWS Wilmington, NC Senior Forecaster and Marine Program Leader Steve Pfaff gives a radio
interview. |
NWS Wilmington, NC Senior Forecaster Steve Pfaff, Science and Operations
Officer Reid Hawkins, and Meteorologist-in-Charge Mike Caropolo (from
left-to-right) in front of the Rip Current Statistics sign. |
Wrightsville Beach officials talk with NWS Wilmington, NC
Meteorologist-in-Charge Mike Caropolo and VADM Conrad Lautenbacher
(left-to-right) |
At Wrightsville Beach, Rip Current safety signs are located at all
public access points. |
Meteorologist-in-Charge Mike Caropolo gives a tour of the NWS
Wilmington, NC Forecast Office to Sandee, Ryan, and Krysta LaMotte. |
Ryan LaMotte creates the
Surf Zone Forecast with help from Senior Forecaster Steve Pfaff |
Sandee and Krysta LaMotte (middle left), along with Rebecca Bryant
(middle right), who lost her daughter Molly to a rip current, and
Therese Pierce from NWS Headquarters (back) look on as Ryan LaMotte
creates the Surf Zone Forecast with help from Senior Forecaster Steve
Pfaff. |
weather.gov 
