The Central Oklahoma Integrated Weather Team: Successes and New Perspectives

Despite the tragic loss of life and incredible destruction they left behind, the Oklahoma tornadoes of May, 2013 could have had far more significant impacts were it not for the work of the Integrated Weather Team (IWT). Through the combined efforts of the National Weather Service, the broadcast media and the emergency management community, people heard the warnings and thousands of lives were saved.

The tornadoes and subsequent discussions about improving communication within the IWT led to a renewed effort to enhance the relationships between the NWS Norman Forecast Office and the broadcast meteorologists in the Oklahoma City television market. This presentation will review the history of NWS-Media relations in central Oklahoma, discuss some of the unique challenges associated with maintaining those critical relationships, and highlight some of the efforts to further strengthen those partnerships.