Weather Whys; First Alert

This is weather-wise, men can't control the weather, but he can work to minimize its effects on life and property. Better forecasting is an important element in that effort, but perhaps even more significant is the speed with which warnings of imminent weather danger are transmitted to the general public. That is no more apparent anywhere than in Oklahoma City, which sits right in the heart of tornado alley. A local television station has developed a system that says revolutionizes the field of warning dissemination. The system is called first alert. Using one of the fastest computer systems currently available, it continually monitors the National Weather Service wire reports for the issuance of watches and warnings. Within five seconds after a watch or warning is issued, the home viewer is notified. With alert, automatically places an Oklahoma map in the lower left-hand corner of the TV screen and shows the affected counties in various colors, depending on the type of watch or warning that applies.

It also generates a message across the bottom of the screen, which gives the viewer more specific information. The station says one of the main advantages of first alert is its immediacy. Before the system went into place, it took an average of about two minutes for Oklahoma City stations to bring notice of a warning to viewers. The meteorologist had to read the often lengthy warning statement, then compose and type the message. But that time is probably better spent communicating with storm spotters in the field, who may be able to pinpoint the immediate location of a dangerous storm. Weather wise is produced with the assistance of the National Weather Service Forecast Office and the National Severe Storms Laboratory, both in Norman, Oklahoma, and the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies. The Oklahoma Climateological Survey and the School of Meteorology, all at the University of Oklahoma, weather wise is made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation. For weather wise, I'm Drew Barlow.