“Weather Ready Nations: International Implementation”
NOAA’s National Weather Service, Weather Ready Nation (WRN) program is about being ready, responsive and resilient to extreme weather, water, and climate events. Weather Ready Nations (WRNs) builds on experience gained at the NWS through the Weather Ready Nation program and on World Meteorological Organization (WMO) experience gained through its work on Impact Based Decision Support Services (IDSS). Specifically useful is the WMO’s publication of Guidelines on Multi-hazard Impact-based Forecast and Warning Services (WMO-NO. 1150). USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), in partnership with WMO and participating National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NHHSs), began implementation of “Weather Ready Nations (WRNs)” in 2016. There are currently four programs underway—in South Africa, Barbados, El Salvador, and Costa Rica, with a fifth to start up in the fall of 2017 in Guatemala.
The goal of WRNs is to share experiences and lessons learned in the implementation of a dramatically new approach for weather services—IDSS. The new approach shifts the focus of weather service programs from forecasting “what the weather will be”, to describing “what the weather will do”. The needs of weather information users are now the key consideration, especially for extreme weather events. Examples include threats and potential impacts to people, their livelihood and property, travel and health impacts, and likely damage to farmland or homes.
WRNs is a multi-year program being implemented in four phases via a series of capacity building workshops with NMHSs, emergency managers, and other relevant agencies:
1. Draft hazard, vulnerability, and-response matrices with stakeholders and finalize the matrices for operational use;
2. Draft or upgrade standard operating response procedures (SOPs) for NMHS, emergency managers and other relevant parties;
3. Test SOPs and provide extensive customized training on the new IDSS process with stakeholders such as local media; and
4. Develop and implement a local outreach program. The NWS Ambassadors’ Program will be a useful model with its reliance on a vast volunteer network and effective social media and web-based information services.
Each program will develop case study “stories” and technical appendices during the initial phase that will lead to guidance to other countries on improving their impact based forecasting.
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