[WeatherBulletin] Public Information Statement - Issued by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC

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Weather Bulletin
NOUS42 KGSP 271543
PNSGSP

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1015 AM EST WED JAN 27 2010

TO:      SUBSCRIBERS:
         -FAMILY OF SERVICES
         -NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
         -EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
         -NOAAPORT 
         OTHER NWS PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM:    PATRICIA TANNER
         SERVICE HYDROLOGIST NWS GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 

SUBJECT: CHANGE IN FLOOD STAGE ALONG FRENCH BROAD RIVER AT ASHEVILLE 
         EFFECTIVE MARCH 1 2010

NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG (NWS) 
ANNOUNCES A CHANGE IN THE FLOOD STAGE FOR THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER AT 
ASHEVILLE EFFECTIVE MARCH 1 2010. THE FLOOD STAGE WILL BE RAISED 
FROM 8 FEET TO 9.5 FEET BASED ON DATA COLLECTED DAILY OVER SEVERAL 
YEARS AND NEW FLOOD PLAIN INUNDATION MAPPING.  

IMPROVING FLOOD FORECAST ACCURACY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF NOAA'S 
MISSION AND IS PART OF NOAA'S NWS CONTINUING EFFORT TO SERVE 
SOCIETY'S NEEDS FOR WEATHER AND WATER INFORMATION.

MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE, ON AVERAGE, LOSE THEIR LIVES DUE TO FLOODS IN 
THE U.S. EVERY YEAR.  ACCURATE FLOOD FORECASTS PROVIDE VALUABLE TIME 
FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE ACTION AND HELP REDUCE LOSS OF PROPERTY AND LIFE.

THE REVISED FLOOD STAGE IS BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE 
BUNCOMBE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AT ASHEVILLE, AND THE BUNCOMBE 
COUNTY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION, AS WELL AS DATA COLLECTED 
BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. 

DURING THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICED THAT 
PROPERTY DAMAGE AND LOSS OF LIFE DID NOT OCCUR AT THE PREVIOUS 8 
FOOT FLOOD STAGE.  THE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG NWS WORKED CLOSELY 
WITH ITS PARTNERS DURING THE PAST SEVERAL FLOOD EVENTS TO DETERMINE  
THAT FLOODING DID NOT OCCUR UNTIL THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER ROSE ABOVE 
9.5 FEET ON THE RIVER GAGE LOCATED AT ASHEVILLE.

THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER AT ASHEVILLE IS A DAILY FORECAST POINT 
INCLUDED IN THE NWS ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE (AHPS)... 
A WEB-BASED SUITE OF ACCURATE AND TIMELY FORECASTS RELATED TO 
HYDROLOGY.  A GRAPHIC AND TEXT DISPLAY SHOWS HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE 
THE RIVER TO RISE TO FLOOD STAGE...HOW HIGH THE RIVER WILL RISE AND 
HOW LONG THE FLOOD WILL LAST WHENEVER A FORECAST IS ISSUED.

THE STREAM GAGE LOCATED ON THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER AT ASHEVILLE IS 
OPERATED BY THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS)...A KEY 
FEDERAL PARTNER OF NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.  THE USGS 
MAINTAINS THE GAGE EQUIPMENT FOR DATA ACCURACY PROVIDING KEY 
INFORMATION TO HELP THE NWS FORECAST FOR OUR NATION'S RIVERS.

ON THE WEB:
NATIONAL ATMOSPHERIC AND OCEANIC ADMINISTRATION:  WWW.NOAA.GOV
NWS GREER, SOUTH CAROLINA: HTTP://WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/ER/GSP
AHPS PROGRAM: HTTP://NEWWEB.ERH.NOAA.GOV/AHPS2/INDEX.PHP?WFO=GSP
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: WWW.WEATHER.GOV
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, EASTERN REGION:  WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV

IF YOU HAVE TECHNICAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS...PLEASE CONTACT: 

PATRICIA TANNER, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: (864) 848-9970 EXT 234
PATRICIA.TANNER at NOAA.GOV 

$$




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