Severe Storms Research Activities
Published: Oct 10, 1979. Publicly Released: Oct 10, 1979.
- Full Report:
A review was made of the severe storms research activities within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
There is a need for improved communication and coordination between the group that is responsible for issuing public forecasts and warnings and the group that is responsible for research to improve forecasting and warning capability. The problem is complicated by the fact that there is no common definition of severe storms. It is evident that there are several unmet research needs and that research costs may become increasingly expensive. Significant improvements can be made in achieving common goals and objectives by better blending the perceptions of the forecasters and scientists as to what research is needed to better utilize existing resources.
Recommendation for Executive Action
Comments: Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Recommendation: Formal procedures should be established that require the National Weather Service to periodically identify and prioritize severe storms and other research necessary to support its operational program, and that such data can be used by the Environmental Research Laboratories in developing research plans and formulating specific research projects. The Federal coordinator should, in cooperation with the appropriate Assistant Administrators, compare weather service needs with research activities in order to evaluate project relevance and provide greater confidence that operational goals are being met in an effective manner.