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NOAA's National Weather Service Funds Flood Warning Upgrades

Posted on: Wednesday, 6 September 2006, 12:00 CDT

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- NOAA's National Weather Service awarded seven grants to improve local flood warning systems in order to help reduce the loss of life, property damage and disruption of commerce resulting from floods. NOAA awarded a total of $383,883 in funds for this 2006 round of the competitive grants.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041022/DCF003LOGO )

Many different integrated Automated Flood Warning Systems (AFWS) are used in many U.S. communities to alert officials about the threat of flooding, as well as for environmental monitoring, water resource management, fire risk assessment, and homeland security. These systems constantly need upgrading and additional features. The NOAA National Weather Service grant program for AFWS allows local officials to enhance their capabilities with federal assistance.

"This program integrates the efforts of federal, state, and local governments to better protect lives and livelihoods from the threats of flooding," said Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), director of NOAA's National Weather Service. "This is part of NOAA's National Weather Service's continuing effort to serve society's needs for weather, climate and water information. I strongly encourage organizations and states to apply."

This year's grant recipients are: * Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Alhambra, Calif.: Awarded $49,533 to upgrade their existing gauge network communications system with satellite telemetry. * City of Austin, Watershed Protection and Development Review Department, Austin, Texas: Awarded $36,515 for new rain and stream gauges to be added to the city's existing AFWS. * Snohomish County Department of Public Works, Surface Water Management Division, Everett, Wash.: Awarded $63,990 for GOES telemetry enhancements to existing river gages, and for the installation of new snow and river stage sampling gauges. * City of Pine Island, Minn.: Awarded $70,684 for a new flood gauge monitoring system. * State of Pennsylvania, Emergency Management Agency, Harrisburg, Pa.: Awarded $95,410 for the partial refurbishment of and existing rain gauge network. * Craig County Department of Public Works, New Castle, Va.: Awarded $45,750 for a new AFWS gauging network. * Delaware River Basin Commission, West Trenton, N.J.: Awarded $22,000 for new snowpack monitors in New York.

"Automated flood warning systems provide local cooperators and NOAA's National Weather Service with extremely important information for flood forecasting," said Peter Gabrielsen, chief of NOAA's National Weather Service, eastern region hydrologic services division. "We encourage all interested eligible parties and those who applied this year, but did not receive funds, to submit an application for 2007."

NOAA awards AFWS grants each year through a nationally competitive process. Competition for 2007 grants is currently open until October 31, 2006. Details on how to file for AFWS grants are available online at http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?oppId=9957&mode=VIEW

In 2007 NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, celebrates 200 years of science and service to the nation. Starting with the establishment of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson much of America's scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA. The agency is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 60 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts, and protects.

On the Web: NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov/ NOAA's National Weather Service: http://www.weather.gov/ NOAA Grants: http://www.grant.gov/ AFWS: http://afws.net/

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National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

CONTACT: Marcie Katcher, +1-631-244-0149 or Stephen Francis,+1-301-713-0006, Ext. 157, both of NOAA

Web site: http://www.noaa.gov/http://www.weather.gov/http://www.grant.gov/http://afws.net/http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?oppId=9957&mode=VIEW

Source: PRNewswire

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