Disaster Reduction Initiative
In FY 2000, NOAA
requests an increase of $42.1 million for the Natural Disaster
Reduction Initiative (NDRI) to implement a second phase of the
DOC strategy to reduce and mitigate against the impacts of extreme
natural events. Many of the extreme events, previously thought
to occur only once in a century, are recurring far more frequently,
threatening the lives, property, natural resources, and vitality
of local and regional economies throughout the nation. Over the
last few years weather-related natural disasters a lone have
cost the United States more than $50 billion a year in damages.
To provide mechanisms for people and property to escape hazards
when in their paths. This cross-NOAA initiative draws from NOAA's
strengths in environment forecast and warning systems, data and
information management, research and
development, and federal-state partnerships for coastal resource
management. FY 2000 funding will be used to support line items
such as the U.S. Weather Research Program, space weather warnings,
and accelerated deployment of the flood forecasting system.
Within NDRI, NOAA requests an increase of $14 million for local
warnings and forecast services. This increase is an investment
which will allow NOAA to substantially improve forecast lead-times
for weather and natural disasters. NOAA also requests an increase
of $5.4 million from the FY 2000 base for Weather Forecast Office
(WFO) construction and the Secretary's mitigation actions. The
mitigation effort requires the construction and operation of
two new WFOs and attendant Advanced Weather Interactive Processing
System (AWIPS) units in Caribou, ME
and Key West, FL. These are necessary to provide these communities
with adequate protection of life and property.
This sub-activity, a $1.0 million increase initiative, provides
for the operation of current polar-orbiting and geostationary
satellites; and production and distribution of satellite products.
Included is also planning for the follow-on satellite systems
and the development of new and improved applications and products
for a wide range of Federal agencies, state and local governments,
and private users.
NOAA requests a total of $38.0 million to continue the operation
and maintenance phase of the AWIPS program. This represents an
increase of $25.8 million over the FY 2000 base level. The FY
2000 request will expand operation and maintenance support for
the entire NWS AWIPS network and fund systems evolution activities.
AWIPS integrates satellite and radar data and provide the local
forecaster with a capability that will significantly improve
forecasts and warnings. It will also provide the communications
capability needed to allow internal and external users access
to much of NOAA real-time environment data. AWIPS will be the
data integrator and nerve center of the operations at each Weather
Forecast Office receiving the high-resolution data from a multiple
Prediction System (AHPS)
NOAA requests an increase of $2.2 million to initiate the implementation
of the AHPS. AHPS is an integrated
a real time modeling and data management/analysis system that
will significantly improve flood forecasting and water management
in the United States. AHPS will provide new forecasts depicting
magnitudes of river levels and river flow volumes for periods
of days to several months into the future. Its national implementation
will began in the Upper Midwest, concentrating on the Red River
of the North, and the Pacific Northwest, focusing on the Columbia
River Basin. AHPS promises to save lives and provide the National
economy $600 million each year through fewer flood losses and
improved water resources management for risk based decision making.
This system will greatly improve the Nation's capability to take
timely and effective actions to mitigate the economic losses
from manor floods and droughts.
Research Program (USWRP)
NOAA requests an increase of $1.5 million for the USWRP to improve the forecast
accuracy and lead-time for hurricane landfall location using
state-of-the art instruments deployed from NOAA aircraft during
coordinated hurricane surveillance missions. USWRP will improve
the accuracy of predictions for emergency preparedness, ultimately
saving lives and property. Enhancing the economic and social
benefits of improved hurricane tracking and landfall predictions
fulfills an important part of NOAA's mission goal to Advance
Short-Term Warning and Forecast Services.
Information Network (GDIN)
An increase of $2.0 million is requested to establish an integrated
Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN) to improve all phases
of disaster management. This will be a public/private partnership
to develop an information system for those who manage and those
who are affected by disasters.
An increase of $1.0 million is requested to support activities
proposed to expand work with coastal states to develop coastal
risk atlases and provide new remote sensing data in a more timely
and effective manner. This will allow coastal communities to
better prepare for and recover from natural disasters, and assess
the impacts of natural hazards on coastal habitats. Hazardous
risk tables will be developed for various habitat types important
to fisheries management.
Orbiting Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS)
The FY 2000 request for the Polar Orbiting Systems includes an
increase of $30.1 million for NOAA's share of the National Polar
Orbiting Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) program. In FY 2000,
the NPOESS program will complete Phase I design and development
of five key sensors and algorithms, initiate Phase II production
of these sensors to meet the civil and national security requirements
for acquiring and disseminating global and regional, space based,
remotely-sensed environmental data.
GOES N-Q NEXRAD
The FY 2000 request for the Geostationary System includes an
increase of $20.2 million due primarily to GOES N-Q space acquisition
portion of the program, inclusion of development funds for advanced
instruments to be ready for the GOES-Q satellite, and the upgrading
and replacements of aging ground systems that will remain operational
through the life of GOES-Q. NOAA requests a total of $9.6 million
for NEXRAD acquisition in the PAC
account, an increase of $2.6 million over the FY 2000 base. The
NEXRAD network provides nationwide Doppler radar coverage, improving
detection of severe weather and floods and increasing warning
lead time for tornadoes. The funding request will support the
NEXRAD product im-provement initiative and continue acquisition
closeout activities. The request for product improvement will
support the migration to the open systems architecture platform,
improving the maintainability and overall cost efficiency of
the NEXRAD. NOAA requests an increase of $6.4 million to
continue the replacement the upper air radiosonde network. The
total FY 2000 planned investment of $8.4 million will permit
implementation of the program according to a five year system
replacement schedule. The radiosonde network provides critical
upper air observations which are the principal data source for
all weather forecasts. Modern radiosondes and ground receiving
equipment will permit more efficient use of radio frequency spectrum
and ensure reliable and consistent upper air data acquisition.
(follow-on to ACE)
NOAA requests an increase of $4.3 million to fund the GEOSTORM
Program. GEOSTORMS is the follow-on to the Advance Composition
Explorer (ACE) and maintains operational
satellite continuity for Real-Time Solar Wind (RTSW) data requirement.
These observations are the only way to tell whether a solar storm
will hit Earth. RTSW observations have increased forecast accuracy
dramatically. Power companies and other vulnerable industries
count on solar wind warning products to trigger preventive measures
that help avert massive utility blackouts and satellite failures.
Industry has told NOAA to make this our number one priority.
The program is so integral to USAF and NASA requirements and
plans that they are contributing 25% to 50% of the costs.
Upper Air Evolution: HPCC/FSL - NOAA's request for the Aircraft
Service includes an increase of $0.4 million for a second flight
crew for NOAA's G-IV high altitude jet to
meet the operational requirement of 24-hour storm surveil-lance.
NOAA's request for an increase of $0.6 million will also provide
commercial aircraft observations (ACARS) for operational use
in numerical weather prediction models. Aircraft temperature
and wind profiles already have yielded demonstrated improvements
in NWS forecasts. NOAA also requests an increase of $1.5 million
for the Forecast System Laboratory (FSL) massively parallel computer
to build and evaluate mesoscale weather prediction models and
to improve the national weather observing system.
Reductions of PAC
FY 2000 reflects a number of NOAA's major acquisition programs
which are nearing completion. These include GOES I-M; POLAR K-N;
AWIPS system acquisition; and Central Computer.
Updated February 1999