Ashley Tye, Lowndes County Emergency Management Director recently took part in a week-long hazardous weather test project with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA is currently funding research on several forecast products and techniques that might better provide a continuous flow of useful information to support emergency managers’ needs before and during severe weather. There are significant challenges in transitioning science advancements, however, to assure that they are helpful to emergency managers and their local decision-making partners.

The project tested two tools for forecasters that simulated end-to-end severe weather communication through realistic scenarios. Participants worked through six total cases throughout the week. In each case, forecasters prepared and delivered two decision-support briefings, then issue warnings and provide warning-related decision support. Emergency Managers reacted to this information in a tabletop exercise manner, working through decisions and actions they would normally take given the information provided. Emergency Managers were asked to help create injects to provide realism and help further test the utility of the experimental data.

“I’m excited to have had the opportunity to participate in this project because what we did, our feedback, determined the direction NOAA takes nationwide in terms of forecast products and briefings they can provide during severe weather events,” said Ashley Tye, Lowndes County Emergency Management Director. “

Tye was one of 40 Emergency Managers from across the United States selected to participate in this test project.

For more on NOAA visit; https://www.noaa.gov/. For more information on Lowndes County Emergency Management, visit; https://www.lowndescounty.com/.