Improved Communication through Integrated Warning Team Workshops

The successful delivery of the National Weather Service (NWS) mission strongly depends on robust communication between the NWS, emergency managers, and broadcast meteorologists. One way in which the NWS Atlanta office works to improve communication with the emergency management community is by holding Adopt-a-County visits with each of the 96 emergency managers in the office's County Warning Area. Approximately 50 visits have been made since 2011. Media workshops are also used to improve NWS communication with the broadcast meteorology community.

After the 2010 WAS*IS workshop in Boulder, Colorado, discussion revealed that a combined effort to improve communication was needed between the NWS, emergency managers and broadcast meteorologists. One way to accomplish this goal was through the creation of an Integrated Warning Team (IWT). NWS Atlanta has held three IWT Workshops that have focused on severe weather and winter weather. These workshops were designed to strengthen the communication between partners, but also introduce the group to social scientists and identify areas where they can help the Atlanta weather community improve their communication with the public. Social scientists have actively participated in the working group, communicating studies on the April 27-28, 2011 tornado outbreak across the southeast, and the January 28, 2014 snow event in Atlanta. This presentation will discuss the three IWT workshops and best practices in organizing, facilitating and the post-meeting collaboration that results from them. studies on the April 27-28, 2011 tornado outbreak across the southeast, and the January 28, 2014 snow event in Atlanta. This presentation will discuss the three IWT workshops and best practices in organizing, facilitating and the post-meeting collaboration that results from them.