ALABAMA STATE EDITION
231
65
72 Florence
2
Huntsville
20 Decatur
72
565 59
43
A Supplement to:
231
431
31
5
Gadsden
78 59 Anniston
20
Birmingham Bessemer
82 Tuscaloosa
65 280
20 82 Auburn
80
85
Selma
Phenix City
Montgomery
82
September 19 2012
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Vol. XXIIV • No. 19
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“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”
Dothan
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Mobile
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Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
Enhancing Forecasting Abilities…
National Water Center Goes to College in Tuscaloosa By Lori Lovely CEG CORRESPONDENT
Construction on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Integrated Water Resources Science and Services (aka the National Water Center) began in Spring 2012 on the University of Alabama (UA) campus in Tuscaloosa. The project will result in a first-of-its-kind facility that will combine hydrological forecasting operations and research under one roof to support field operations, improve joint agency coordination and address emerging stakeholder needs. “Water resource issues are complex, multi-disciplinary and growing, as we’ve seen with this year’s floods in the northeast and the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers and the prolonged drought across much of the South,” said NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco. “The necessary expertise and capabilities to address these cross-boundary issues rarely reside within one agency or organization. There is an increasing need for close partnerships among federal agencies and local, state and regional entities; the National Water Center provides a focal point to address this national need.” The new national hydrologic operations center is intended to enhance water forecasting capabilities by facilitating collaboration between NOAA and other federal agencies that share water responsibilities, enabling it to better serve the nation by addressing complex
Construction on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Integrated Water Resources Science and Services (aka the National Water Center) began in spring 2012 on the University of Alabama (UA) campus in Tuscaloosa.
water problems related to scarcity, flood and climate change. It also will improve the nation’s ability to manage water resources, prepare for water disasters and respond to increasing water challenges, as well as provide various support services and perform administrative functions of NOAA’s National Weather Service. Among other functions, the center will include a water resources forecasting operations center, an applied water resources research and development laboratory, a geo-intelligence laboratory and a distance learning center.
Watering Hole NOAA, established in 1807, uses cutting-edge research and high-tech instrumentation to provide citizens, planners, emergency managers and others with reliable weather information, from daily weather forecasts and storm warnings to climate monitoring and coastal restoration and marine commerce. An international leader in scientific and environmental matters, its services affect more than one-third of the country’s gross domestic product. The National Water Center is part of NOAA’s commitment to
create a weather-ready nation, in which the country is able to prepare for and respond to environmental events that affect safety, health, the environment, the economy and homeland security. The center will be a cornerstone of this effort by providing emergency managers with detailed maps that explicitly show forecasted locations and effects of flooding, so they can direct their evacuation and mitigation measures more effectively. New forecasts of water supply and availability will help plan for uncertain water futures, build more resilient communities
and create new business opportunities. Currently, there are 122 local Weather Forecast Offices supported by the agency’s 13 regional River Forecast Centers and national forecast offices, including the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center and Climate Prediction Center. “This will be the central nerve center,” said Don Cline, chief, Hydrology Lab, Office of Hydrologic Development, National Weather Service, NOAA. “Other national centers do other things; this is the first in the water realm.” He went on to explain that his department in Washington D.C. currently sends information to the 122 weather forecast offices, rather than replicate the technology to run sophisticated models in each location. The 13 water offices run local models. “There are no large-scale models for them,” Cline said. Many critical decisions that save lives and enhance the economy rely on timely, reliable water information. NOAA forecasts soil moisture, snow pack and rain on a weekly, monthly or annual basis. They provide precipitation and evaporation information vital to creating a water budget and used as a guideline for agriculture, the construction trade, water resource managers and the river transportation industry. The new National Water Center will strengthen the nation’s water forecast capabilities not only by assisting NOAA to provide more information about flooding, but see NOAA page 2