Warning systems and effective risk communication save lives and property when natural disasters strike vulnerable communities.  But are the systems for monitoring and warning the public effective as they could be?  What new technologies and techniques are emerging that could give communities across the U.S. the tools to protect their citizens and economies from extreme events?  This briefing described the systems in place around the country right now that detect and deliver warnings on earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires.  Speakers addressed ways to improve these systems, and challenges facing communities and emergency managers who need the information to warn citizens and businesses so that communities can gird against catastrophe.
 

Speakers:

Mary Lou Zoback, U.S. Geological Survey
Advances and challenges in warnings for earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis (MS PowerPoint document; 5419 KB)
To view as HTML:
•  "Tsunami traveltimes" (Slide 1)
•  "1991 Pinatubo, Phillipines eruption" (Slide 2)
•  "The Eruption of Cleveland Volcano, Alaska: Feb. 2000" (Slide 3)
•  "Long Valley Caldera" (Slide 4)
•  "TriNet ShakeMap: Instrumental Intensity Map" (Slide 5)
•  "U.S. Geological Survey Advanced National Seismic Network" (Slide 6)
•  "Predicted P-Wave Travel Times" (Slide 7)
 

Ron McPherson, American Meteorological Society
Severe weather networks and warning systems (MS PowerPoint document; 112 KB)
To view as HTML:
• "Sources of Hazardous Weather Warnings: Public Sector" (Slide 1)
•  "Sources of Hazardous Weather Warnings: Private Sector" (Slide 2)
•  "Issues and Conclusions" (Slide 3)
 

Craig Fugate, Florida Division of Emergency Management
Challenges and obstacles to effective warning systems (MS PowerPoint document; 32 KB)
To view as HTML:
•  "National Emergency Managment Association" (Slide 1)
•  "Warning Process" (Slide 2)
 

George Vradenburg, (AOL/Time Warner (ret.))
Hazard warning systems in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area (MS PowerPoint document; 13 KB)
To view as HTML:
•  "Regional Developments in Incident Communications" (Slide 1)
 

George Heinrichs, Intrado, Inc.
Notifying threatened communities: Colorado wildfire example (MS PowerPoint document; 5,280 KB)
To view as HTML:
•  "IntelliCast  Target Notification" (Slide 1)
•  "Intrado – Corp Overview" (Slide 2)
•  "Emergency Notification - Key Elements" (Slide 3)
•  "Intellicast Notification Model" (Slide 4)
•  "Typical Applications" (Slide 5)
•  "Telephone Notification" (Slide 6)
•  "Target Notification – Call List" (Slide 7)
•  "Target Notification– Pre-Planned" (Slide 8)
•  "Target Notification– Address/Intersection & Radius Events" (Slide 9)
•  "Target Notification– User Drawn Polygon Events" (Slide 10)
•  "Target Notification– Summary & Detail Reports" (Slide 11)
•  "Colorado Wildfire Update" (Slide 12)
•  "Notifications" (Slide 13)
•  "Impact..." (Slide 14)
•  "Questions…" (Slide 15)
 

Peter Ward, Partnership for Public Warning
Applying Lessons from Natural Hazards to Terrorism
Wrap-up: How can Congress help?

The briefing was sponsored by:
American Geological Institute
American Geophysical Union
American Meteorological Society
Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology
International Association of Emergency Managers
Partnership for Public Warning
Seismological Society of America

The Natural Hazards Caucus Work Group invites your participation in future Caucus events. For more information on the Work Group supporting this Caucus, contact Dave Applegate of the American Geological Institute (703-379-2480 ext. 228) or Pete Folger of the American Geophysical Union (202-777-7509), or visit the website http://www.agiweb.org/workgroup/.

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