FMA Board Agency Report - NOAA/NWS

Alan Haynes, Hydrologist in Charge, California Nevada River Forecast Center

Alex Chen Selected for HydrologicForecaster Position at the CNRFC

Alex Chen has been selected as a hydrologic forecaster for the California Nevada River Forecast Center in Sacramento, arriving August 15th. Alex received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2022. His research focused on harnessing crowdsourced rainfall data to address water resource management challenges and mitigate flooding impacts. He has published papers in Water Resource Research and Journal of Hydrology. Prior to his Ph.D. studies, he worked as a professional hydraulic engineer in Taiwan for three years, with primary duties of developing hydrologic and hydraulic analysis and design for transportation and water infrastructures. Outside of work, he enjoys shooting pool, playing tennis, lifting weights, trail running, attending community events, and spending time with his family. He is excited to join the CNRFC and looking forward to working with the team.

Alex Chen and his family

Ken Graham Selected as Director of the National Weather Service

Ken Graham was selected as the 17th director of the National Weather Service (NWS), effective June 7th. He was preceded by Dr. Louis Uccelini who retired at the end of 2021. “Ken has the scientific integrity, trusted leadership, and communication prowess that will take the National Weather Service to even greater heights,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “I have full confidence that he will help create a more weather- and climate-ready nation amid more extreme weather fueled by our changing climate.” “What an incredible honor it is to serve alongside the heroes of the National Weather Service whose excellence shines through day after day,” said Graham. “I thank Dr. Spinrad for entrusting me with the awesome responsibility and privilege of leading this dedicated team at such an exciting and important time in our history. We’ll accomplish great things together by building on recent progress and prioritizing support of our forecasters. I can’t wait to get started.”

Prior to his selection as director of the NWS, Graham served as the director of the National Hurricane Center since 2018. He has a vast amount of operational field experience, starting out as an intern meteorologist in 1994 at the New Orleans/Baton Rouge weather forecast office.

Before joining the National Hurricane Center, Graham served as the meteorologistin-charge of the NWS’ New Orleans/Baton Rouge office for 10 years. He notably established two command centers in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 that provided forecasts to help authorities make critical decisions in the five months following the spill. Graham also led the effort to support decision makers in Louisiana and Mississippi with services focused on expected impacts for hurricanes Gustav, Ike, Isaac, and during the historic 2017 season.

Graham earned a bachelor’s degree in atmospheric science from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree in geoscience from Mississippi State University. He was recently named the “2022 Weatherperson of the Year” by the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes and was a 2021 finalist for the Partnership for Public Service’s Samuel J. Heyman

Ken Graham, NWS Director

Service to America Medal. Graham is a member of the American Meteorological Society, the National Weather Association and the International Association of Emergency Managers.

A native of Phoenix, Graham and his wife, Laura, have three daughters.

Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA)

The recently passed congressional infrastructure bill authorizes $492 million over five years for a few key National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) water-related improvements:

1. Real-Time Coastal and Inland Forecast Flood

Inundation Mapping- NOAA will collect and integrate high-resolution bathymetric and topographic data by aircraft and vessel to advance and implement flood inundation forecasting and mapping capabilities and related services. 2. Update and Revise Precipitation Frequency

Atlases for the U.S. including Probable Maximum

Precipitation- The NWS will conduct updates and revisions accounting for climate change and these data will be publicly available. NOAA Atlas 14 precipitation frequency and probable maximum precipitation estimates are critical to design and construction of all infrastructure.

3. Improve Overall Forecasting Skill and Services through the Next Generation of NOAA’s

National Water Model Framework- NOAA will couple advanced inland and coastal models used to generate total water level forecasts and flood inundation maps for rivers and coast, and incorporate water quality.

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FMA BOARD AGENCY REPORT - NOAA/NWS (Continued)

Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology

NOAA has selected the University of Alabama to host a new cooperative institute focused on accelerating research and enhancing collaboration. The goal of this new institute will be to improve the agency's ability to provide actionable water resource information for forecasts, watches, warnings and related products to protect life and property and strengthen the national economy.

The new research venture is called the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology, or CIROH.

“The new cooperative institute will work with NOAA to research and develop state-of-the-science water analysis, forecasts and guidance and the equitable delivery of decision-support services,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “This program will train the next generation of scientists focused on addressing water issues and emergencies on all time scales, helping NOAA build a Climate Ready Nation that is responsive and resilient in a changing world.”

The selection comes with an award of up to $360 million over the course of five years, with the potential for renewal for another five years based on successful performance. Funding is contingent upon the availability of federal appropriations. NOAA selected the University of Alabama as the host for the cooperative institute after an open, competitive evaluation. The campus is also home to NOAA’s National Water Center, the nation’s research to operations center of excellence for water resources science and services. The cooperative institute will focus on four research themes:

• Expansion and improvement of water resources prediction capabilities. • Advancement and acceleration of community water resources modeling. • Application of social, economic and behavioral science to water resource products and services. • Advancement of hydroinformatics, which is the application of information and communication technologies to address increasingly serious issues of equitable and efficient use of water for different purposes. “Flooding is a coast-to-coast threat, often generated by prolonged or extreme precipitation," said Mary C. Erickson, deputy director of NOAA’s National Weather Service. "This new cooperative institute and its research partners will help us develop and test new tools and methods to meet community needs for highresolution water predictions and actionable scenarios to build local resilience.”

Erickson added that the institute's close proximity to the National Water Center on the University of Alabama campus will enable the highest level of collaboration to accelerate innovation and research to operations.

NOAA supports 20 cooperative institutes consisting of 70 universities and research institutions in 28 states and the District of Columbia. These research institutions provide strong educational programs that promote student and postdoctoral scientist involvement in NOAA-funded research.