Enhancing Impact-Based Decision Support Services (IDSS) through a Systematic Study of Emergency Management Workflows

While the National Weather Service (NWS) may be primarily identified with producing warning and forecast products, recent years have seen an increasing emphasis on Impact-Based Decision Support Services (IDSS). IDSS helps ensure that NWS forecast information is relevant, understandable, and actionable through two-way communication with core partners, notably Emergency Managers (EMs). Among NWS's core partners, EMs are crucial as they act as intermediaries between weather information and community response, influencing decisions that can save lives and protect property. Despite the availability of advanced data and forecasting tools, NWS forecasters face challenges in understanding the workflows and needs of EMs due to a lack of detailed information on how EMs utilize and disseminate weather forecasts. Previous work through the Extreme Weather and Emergency Management Survey (WxEM) has explored the sources from which EMs gather forecast information and how they disseminate hazardous weather information. Analysis of survey data identified that 97% of EMs receive forecast information from the NWS, while nearly 74% of EMs pass on NWS information to their partners with minimal or limited modifications. Based on the findings of previous research, this presentation outlines a project designed to bridge this knowledge gap by more fully evaluating EM workflows. The findings will offer actionable recommendations to enhance IDSS strategies and forecast products, ultimately improving how NWS supports EMs and boosts community resilience to hazardous weather events.