[EAS] concerning the request for new weather Event Codes

[Tim Schott - NWS Federal]

Here is some additional information on the NWS request for three new EAS Event Codes. 

1) Concerning the Extreme Wind Warning.  It is issued in association with major hurricanes, generally a few hours prior to the onset of extreme (111 mph or greater) sustained wind speeds.  While rarely issued, it alerts the public to take last and final protective actions just prior to the onset of the strongest, most damaging core of extreme winds. 

2) Concerning the future Storm Surge Watch and Warning.  The Watch (generally with 36 hours) and the Warning (generally within 24 hours) is issued for the danger of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland (in association with a tropical, subtropical, or post-tropical cyclone.)   The majority of the deaths attributed to the deadliest tropical cyclone events in U.S. history were from storm surge. The most recent example is Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy in 2012, with extreme inundation along the New Jersey and New York coastlines.

Tim Schott
NWS Analyze, Forecast and Support Office
Digital and Graphical Information Support Branch
Dissemination Services
301 427 9336 (Office)
703 314 4343 (Cell)

On Sun, Jun 19, 2016 at 8:00 AM, <eas-request at radiolists.net> wrote:
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>Today's Topics:

>   1. New weather event codes (Sean Donelan)

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>Message: 1
>From: Sean Donelan <sean at donelan.com>
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>On Fri, 17 Jun 2016, Tim Stoffel wrote:
>> We forward the more important weather event codes. "High Wind Warning"
>> might be a useful event code for us, as we are indeed prone to high
>> winds. However, this is like a winter storm warning, flood warning, etc.
>> They are often issued one or more days in advance, and as such, are less
>> useful as an EAS alert message.

>High Wind Warning has been an EAS event code since the first FCC order
>in 1994.  As you point out, they aren't as useful as an EAS ("interrupt
>programming for an emergency bulletin") event for broadcasters.

>The new proposed weather event codes "Extreme Wind Warning,""Storm Surge
>Watch" and "Storm Surge Warning" are related to hurricanes and tropical
>storms.  I'll defer to NOAA/NWS need for additional specific event codes.
>It allows more granulaty in NOAA/NWS products as part of weather radio and
>weather wire during hurricanes and tropical storms.

>For most broadcasters and cable systems, the impact of new event codes
>will be negligible. The next time they update their EAS software or buy a
>new EAS box the new software will have a few more event codes available.
>But if they don't update their EAS boxes, most existing EAS boxes either
>ignore unknown event codes or just print a message in the log.  Some
>broadcasters didn't update their EAS boxes for 10 years after the 2002
>event code changes, and only bought new EAS boxes to implement CAP.

>As far as updating FIPS codes.  It would be nice if EAS vendors also
>updated their pre-programmed FIPS county and NOAA maritime code
>translations.  Some vendors seem to use very old FIPS/maritime code
>translations.  But again, for most broadcasters and cable systems those
>translation changes are negligible unless you are in an affected area
>with a changed FIPS code (a dozen codes or so out of 3,000+ FIPS/Maritime
>codes).  You can usually configure code translations manually in EAS
>boxes without a software update.

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