WeatherBrains 216: Emergency Management

WeatherBrains Episode 216 is now online (Mar. 16, 2010). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

WeatherBrains - March 16, 2010

Joining us this week are two members of the emergency management community. Weather is an integral part of what emergency managers deal with on a daily basis, whether it is a tornado or severe thunderstorm threat or dealing with wind when a toxic or hazardous material spill has occurred.

From the City of Battle Creek, Michigan, we have Jim Zoss, the Emergency Service Director. He has been in emergency management for 28 years.

Also joining us is Rob Dale. He grew up in Toledo and got his degree in Atmospheric Sciences from Purdue. He worked for the ABC affiliate in Toledo then moved to Lansing where he was the meteorologist at WLNS, the CBS affiliate. He furthered his education in Emergency Management at Jacksonville State University. He is now the Regional Planner at Eaton County Emergency Management Services. He is also the owner of Skywatch Services.

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

Cyclone Tomas, a category four storm, battered Fiji in the South Pacific

Weather relatively quiet compared to recent weeks

Widespread flooding from New Jersey to New England

Fargo, ND, filling sandbags due to coming flooding

Spokane has only had 14 inches of snow

Snow cover stands around 14 percent

and more!

Our mail bag officer, Kevin what’s his name, puts the latest email on display despite being a trifle light.

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: Satellite imagery is a big main stay for the field meteorology. Satellites, especially the geostationary synchronous orbiting ones provide meteorologists with a wealth of information. The illustrious professor begins a three part series on satellite data beginning with infrared imagery.

TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of March 16th.

Listener Surveys: Okay, we continue to drive this topic into the ground, but we really do like to hear from you. Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to fill out the Listener Survey. The survey takes just a minute or two to complete and provides us with an opportunity to learn where you are and hear your thoughts and comments on the show. Click here to take the survey.

Web Sites from Episode 216:

Skywatch Services, LLC

Battle Creek, MI, Emergency Services

Eaton County, MI, Emergency Services

Picks of the Week:

JB Elliott – Weather Folklore

Brian Peters – ESA – European Space Agency Images

Kevin Selle – MOS-Differential Tool

James Spann – A Look Back at the 1925 Tri-State Tornado

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like JB Elliott, Kevin Selle, and Brian Peters. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.