A Broadcast Meteorologist on a NWS Service Assessment Team

In late August of 2011, Hurricane Irene struck the coast of the United States, impacting highly populated areas from North Carolina to New Enland. Within a few days, the deputy director of NOAA chartered a Service Assessment team to report back on the services of the National Weather Service during the event. Since the media was such an important part of the event, a broadcast meteorologist was chosen to be a part of a service assessment for the first time. The Irene SA was co-chaired by Dr. Frank Marks, director of NOAA's Hurricane Research Division and Wes Browning, Meteorologist In Charge - National Weather Service Office St. Louis. A dozen other NOAA employees were brought in, along with several Social Scientist. As a broadcast meteorologist with tropical experience, I was ask to survey TV meteorologists in the impacted areas to get their feedback and recommendations to the NWS and NHC. The Service Assessment will be released in a few weeks. The Conference on Broadcast Meteorology will be in Boston on the one year anniversary of Irene. I will discuss findings in the report that are important to broadcast meteorologists and for the future of the National Weather Service.