19970410: Grand Rapids, Mich warning changes

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: 19970410: Grand Rapids, Mich warning changes
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 14:52:05 -0600 (MDT)

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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
315 PM EDT THU APR 10 1997
 
TO        NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ EMPLOYEES...FAMILY OF
          SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
          /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NWS CUSTOMERS
 
FROM      DONALD R. WERNLY...CHIEF...CUSTOMER SERVICE
 
SUBJECT   SHORT-FUSE SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS FROM THE GRAND
          RAPIDS MICHIGAN NWS OFFICE TO TAKE ON A NEW
          LOOK...EFFECTIVE JUNE 10 1997
 
BEGINNING JUNE 10 1997 AT 600 AM EDT / 1000 UNIVERSAL TIME
COORDINATED OR UTC/...SHORT-FUSE SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS ISSUED
BY THE GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE WILL
HAVE A DIFFERENT APPEARANCE.
 
THE SHORT-FUSE WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED WITH A BULLET STYLE FORMAT
INSTEAD OF A LONGER VERSION USED IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
     
THIS FORMAT ALLOWS CRITICAL INFORMATION TO CLEARLY STANDOUT ON
INDIVIDUAL LINES SEPARATED BY A BLANK LINE.  THE NEW APPEARANCE
MAKES IT EASIER TO REVIEW AND READ THE WARNING QUICKLY.
 
NO PRODUCT IDENTIFIER/HEADER CHANGES AND NO UNIVERSAL GENERIC
CODE CHANGES ARE REQUIRED BY NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/
CUSTOMERS...FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ CUSTOMERS...OR OTHER NWS
CUSTOMERS.  HOWEVER SOME TELEVISION STATIONS...POSSIBLY INCLUDING
CABLE TELEVISION...WILL NEED TO ENSURE EQUIPMENT USED TO GENERATE
A CRAWL WILL ACCOMMODATE THE NEW WARNING FORMAT.
 
THE SHORT-FUSE WARNING PRODUCTS AFFECTED ARE

SHORT-FUSE WARNING PRODUCT      NWWS ID      WMO HEADER FOR FOS  
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING     ARBSVRGRR    WUUS1 KGRR
TORNADO WARNING                 ARBTORGRR    WFUS1 KGRR
FLASH FLOOD WARNING             ARBFFWGRR    WRUS1 KGRR
 
CONTENT OF THE WARNINGS WILL REMAIN THE SAME...ONLY THE
APPEARANCE WILL LOOK SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.  NWS OFFICES IN DES
MOINES IOWA...MINNEAPOLIS MINNESOTA...KANSAS CITY MISSOURI...AND
PUEBLO COLORADO USED THE NEW FORMAT DURING 1996.  CUSTOMER
SURVEYS PRODUCED HIGH MARKS AND POSITIVE COMMENTS FROM THE MEDIA
AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS.  A SAMPLE WARNING FORMAT FOLLOWS: 
 
    
 
    ARBTORGRR
    WFUS1 KGRR
 
    MIC999-221345-
 
    BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
    TORNADO WARNING
    NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
    814 AM EDT MON APR -- 199-
 
    * TORNADO WARNING FOR
      TEST COUNTY - SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
 
    * UNTIL 845 AM EDT
 
    * SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
      TEST CITY
      EXAMPLE TOWN
 
    * AT 812 AM EDT DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A TORNADO 10 MILES
      WEST OF TEST CITY MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

   * THE STORM WILL BE NEAR TEST CITY AT 830 AM.
 
    IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IN A
    HOME OR BUSINESS IS AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR     
 
    POSSIBLE.
 
                ...END OF EXAMPLE...
 
THIS FORMAT MAY BE USED BY THE NWS OFFICE FOR A TEST TORNADO
WARNING AS PART OF THE ANNUAL OR MONTHLY TORNADO DRILLS...
BEGINNING THIS SPRING.  THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO ENSURE THAT
YOUR WARNING COMMUNICATION SYSTEM CAN ADAPT TO THE NEW WARNING
DESIGN.
 
IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS...PLEASE CONTACT
DAVID RUNYAN  816-426-3239 EXT 703  E-MAIL DAVID.RUNYAN@xxxxxxxx
OR MIKE LOONEY 816-426-3239 EXT 701
NWS CENTRAL REGION HEADQUARTERS...ROOM 1836
601 E. 12TH STREET
KANSAS CITY MISSOURI  64106
 
...NOTE TO INTERNET USERS...
THIS AND ALL OTHER NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTIFICATIONS ARE
AVAILABLE ON THE FOLLOWING URL ADDRESS /IN SMALL CASE LETTERS/
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
 
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