NOAA's Impacts Catalog: Through the Eyes of a Storm

August 2015 was the Ten Year marker since Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana. This talk revisits the stages of forecasting for a storm like Katrina from the viewpoint of NOAA's Impacts Catalog governance plans which shape how we communicate hazardous events—big and small—to our core partners (emergency management, domestic and international partners, and electronic media). In walking through this scenario, we will explore the new forecast products that have come onboard since then, better understand what the National Centers and Field see as well as the nuances in how they work together. Finally, the talk will cover forecaster training that will promote consistency and an agile forecasting environment. The presentation concludes with demonstrating how WRN products like Impacts Catalog, combined with private sector specialization, academic research on impacts, and non-governmental organization outreach and engagement are all essential to building a Weather-Ready Nation.