Spring 2016 VORTEX-SE Social Science Activities with the National Weather Service in Huntsville, AL

The first field campaign of the Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes EXperiment-Southeast (VORTEX-SE) occurred during Spring 2016. Unlike past VORTEX studies, VORTEX-SE was focused on an area around Huntsville, Alabama, and included research on the social science aspect of severe weather in tandem with the traditional focus on physical science.

VORTEX-SE had five Intensive Observation Periods (IOP) over two months in which North Alabama became a hub of activity for researchers, students, and field scientists. As part of each IOP, social scientists conducted in situ research with both the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast office in Huntsville, and select emergency management offices to observe interactions, workflow, communications, and overall challenges faced during severe weather.  As such, the IOPs allowed for a uniquely close collaborative environment between NWS operational forecasters and social scientists. Unlike many instances where forecasters or researchers interact for brief periods, the ability to spend extended, unfiltered time together during active weather proved valuable for all parties.

This presentation will discuss how the social scientists interacted with the forecasters and core partners, the benefits of this interaction, as well as a few examples of communication processes through the event. These examples will show how the social sciences can help NWS personnel understand critical end user decisions at various points in the communication pipeline, and where local knowledge and expertise can enhance it. The presentation will also touch upon plans for Year 2 of VORTEX-SE and how the relationship among the social scientists and forecasters are expected to evolve over the course of the project.