Severe Weather, Norman, Oklahoma

Description

REMENT OF DEPARTMENT FILM RELEASE OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (PUBLIC AFFAIR UNITO STATES of WASHINGTON, D.C. - 20301 PLEASE NOTE DATE 108210 IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 29, 1978 OXford 7-6161 Release # 52-78 Footage: 66 16 mm Color Master Room 2E 773 with magnetic sound 036000 Time: 1:50 036XXX "SEVERE WEATHER' 106104 103545 (Official U.S. Air Force Film Released by Department of Defense) 108210 103546 DATE/PLACE: This footage was taken during the spring of 1978 in Norman, 103566 Oklahoma (and includes stock footage of tornados taken at various locations in the U.S.). 107596 SCOPE: This coverage is of how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Severe Storms Laboratory tracks tornados. 100009 103568 ACKGROUND: It's summer, and the news is full of pictures of the destruction brought tornados storms that sweep along weather front lines from Texas to Michigan. No town or farm from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachian Mountains is safe if the storm conditions are right. A series of tests are being conducted jointly by the Air Force and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to find the answers to a lot of questions about these storms -- how they start, where they are likely to go, and how can we get enough warning of them to take cover. During these tests, a powerful Doppler radar at the NOAA's Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma, has been tracking the circulation of tornados, while an Air Force fighter with special instrumentation searches for the most turbulent areas of the storm. By comparing the radar echoes with what the Air Force pilot reports, NOAA and Air Force weather scientists are learning to identify the radar signatures for severe storms and tornados. The Doppler radar can detect tornados more than 20 minutes before they become visible to ground observers, and can add more than 10 minutes to the lead time possible in tornado warnings. The tests also indicate that storms with heavy rains can also be tracked, improving detection of flash floods. This cooperative program by the Air Force and NOAA's National Weather Service could provide all of us with more warning time and better directional accuracy on the evere storms that attack the nation's heartland each summer. - MORE -

Collection

Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer

Series

Filmed News Releases