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What is a Weather-Ready Nation? It’s a nation in which society is prepared for and responds
to weather-dependent events. And it’s the vision of the National Weather Service.
April 20, 2010: The Deepwater Horizon oil rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, creating
an ecological disaster of unprecedented proportions. From the beginning NOAA’s National Weather
Service was ready with specialized forecasts and decision support services. And when it
came time to make critical decisions, like when to cap the well, National Incident Commander
Admiral Thad Allen turned to NOAA’s National Weather Service for support, telling reporters
that the break in the weather NWS forecasters identified "presents a significant opportunity
for us to accelerate the process of capping."
September 2010: Hurricane Earl takes aim at the East Coast of the U.S., threatening millions
of people preparing for Labor Day weekend. From Puerto Rico to Maine NOAA’s National
Weather Service was ready, providing on-site decision support services at three FEMA regional
headquarters and increasing staffing at Weather Forecast Offices along the coast. Upper-air
stations also performed supplemental weather balloon launches to gain a better picture
of the environment in which Earl would develop as it moved up the coast.
September 16, 2010 [EAS Warning Tone]
"The National Weather Service in Upton, New York, has issued a tornado warning for Queens
County in southeast New York..."
Two tornadoes touchdown in New York City, causing widespread damage in the nation’s
largest metropolitan area. NOAA’s National Weather Service was ready, warning residents
ahead of time and working with city officials to assess the damage both on the ground and
in the air.
December 26, 2010: A massive blizzard strikes the Northeast, dumping as much as 30 inches
of snow and producing what officials in Massachusetts called "the worst coastal flooding since 1991."
NOAA’s National Weather Service was ready, briefing governors and emergency managers
in affected states and providing aviation and storm impact briefings for major air traffic
hubs from Washington, D.C., to Boston during the busy holiday travel season.
Working 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, NOAA’s National Weather Service is building
a Weather-Ready Nation in which society is prepared for and responds to weather-dependent
events. Learn more at www.weather.gov.