Embedded Files
AMS-SMC Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 · 7:00 – 8:00pm ET
Title: Managing the Tennessee River System
Presenting Author: Darrell Guinn and Bemjamin Thomas, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Abstract:
From the beginning, TVA was tasked with taming the flooding on the wild Tennessee River. Today, TVA manages the river for multiple benefits and the highest public good.
Bio:
Darrell Guinn is the Sr. Manager of the TVA River Forecast Center in Knoxville, TN. He’s worked in the River Forecast Center since 2011 and been a manager in the forecast center since 2019.
AMS-SMC Chapter Meeting
Monday, May 6, 2024 · 7:00 – 8:00pm ET
Title: The 2022 Buffalo, NY Christmas Weekend Lake-Effect Snow Blizzard: A True Weather Catastrophe
Presenting Author: Tom Niziol, National Winter Weather Specialist, Fox Weather; Winter Weather Expert, The Weather Channel (2012-2019); Lead Forecaster, Science Officer, and Meteorologist-In-Charge, Buffalo NWS (retired)
Abstract:
During the Christmas holiday weekend of 2022, Buffalo, NY was buried by a catastrophic lake-effect snow blizzard. Over the course of nearly 4 days, forty-seven people lost their lives as a direct result of the winter storm. This begs an answer to the question “How could one of the most winter savvy-cities in the world, in the year 2022, backed by sophisticated numerical weather models and exceptional communication networks, suffer such a tremendous loss of life?”.
It all is part of the process I describe as a “Weather Catastrophe”, where several meteorological as well as logistical and societal factors, each of which produces its own impacts on the public, come together at the wrong place and the wrong time. The result follows the old saying that “The Whole is Sometimes MUCH Greater Than the Sum of the Parts”. In this presentation I plan to piece together those parts to highlight how catastrophes like this one happen and hopefully, how we all can be better prepared when it happens again, because history does repeat itself.
Bio:
Tom Niziol has been fascinated with snow since his childhood days in Buffalo, NY. Coming from one of the snowiest places on earth, he developed a passion for the winter season and all things related to snow over his 40+ year career. After graduating with a B.S. in meteorology from the State University of New York at Oswego he began his career as an Associate Atmospheric Scientist for Calspan Corporation in Buffalo. His research field work took him to many remote places including Iceland, Alaska, the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. He then expanded his passion into forecasting the weather in what evolved into a 30+ year career with NOAA’s National Weather Service office in Buffalo. There he held various positions including Lead Forecaster, Science Officer and Meteorologist-In-Charge. During his time at the NWS in Buffalo, he developed methods and software to aid in the prediction of lake-effect snow that have been used around the world.
After retirement from NOAA, Tom began yet another career as the Winter Weather Expert at The Weather Channel from 2012 through 2019. He really enjoyed sharing his enthusiasm for winter weather as well as educating viewers through the lens of a camera. He retired from The Weather Channel to a mountain home just off The Appalachian Trail in Eastern TN where he currently resides. Then in 2022 the new weather network known as Fox Weather offered him a position as their national Winter Weather Specialist. Nothing would take Tom off that mountain, but technology has allowed him to broadcast right from a home studio during the past two winters on winter storms impacting the US. He has authored several publications in atmospheric science journals on winter weather topics, especially in regards to his expertise, lake-effect snow. Tom has been a guest lecturer on winter weather forecast techniques for several years with UCAR’s COMET Program in Boulder Colorado. He teamed with Canadian forecast counterparts to initiate the annual Great Lakes Operational Meteorology Workshop, an international conference to expand forecast knowledge and techniques for Great Lakes weather. He was a forecaster for both the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta as well as the 2000 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He has contributed to numerous science documentaries on networks including the BBC, History Channel, Discovery Channel and Dateline NBC.
Tom is also the recipient of several awards from NOAA, the National Weather Association, and the American Meteorological Society including the Francis W. Reichelderfer Award for research leading to substantial improvement in the prediction of snowstorms influenced by the Great Lakes. You can learn more about Tom’s weather passions at his blog itsallweather.blogspot.com
AMS-SMC Chapter Meeting
Thursday, January 25, 2024 · 7:00 – 8:00pm ET
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/rpp-pver-iar
Title: Strong Tornado and Widespread Damaging Winds across Knox County, August 7th 2023: Why Did the Abnormally Strong Storm Happen
Presenting Author: Jeremy Buckles, Brandon Wasilewski, and David Hotz, NOAA/NWS Morristown Tennessee
Abstract:
The tornado that struck western sections of Knoxville, TN on 7 August 2023 was extremely unusual for the month of August. Since the early 1900s, the tornado was only the 7th recorded August tornado across NWS Morristown TN County Warning Area (CWA) and 2nd EF2 or greater tornado for the month of August.
Besides the tornado, widespread high end straight-line wind damage was also reported with wind speeds approaching 90 mph. This presentation will review the synoptic-scale and meso-scale analysis, environmental parameters and soundings, and radar features that led to the severe weather event. The strength of the system was extremely unusual for the month of August, producing a wind profile up through the atmosphere that was comparable to that of April and May. Low-level winds and overall wind shear were above and beyond nearby observed sounding climatology going back to the 1940s, combined with notable instability.
The presentation will also show photos, video, and storm reports across Knox County and surrounding areas.
Bio:
Jeremy Buckles is an East Tennessee native who has had a lifelong passion for weather and forecasting across the complex terrain of the Southern Appalachians. Jeremy completed a B.S. in Meteorology (2013) and a M.S. in Meteorology (2015) from Mississippi State University. Prior to joining the National Weather Service (NWS), Jeremy worked in undergraduate and graduate research positions in computational sciences and environmental protection at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and volunteered at the NWS Morristown and WATE-TV Knoxville. In 2016, Jeremy began his NWS career as a meteorologist at the NWS Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Morristown, TN. Since 2020, Jeremy has been a Lead Meteorologist at the NWS WFO Morristown, TN and manages the office operational Impact-Based Decision Support Services program, radar operations, and radar training. He is also active in research to operations pertinent to local terrain influences and effects. Jeremy is married to his wife, Kelsey, and they have two children.
Brandon Wasilewski has lived in East Tennessee since he moved to Anderson County in the beginning of 2007 at the age of 10 with an already developed interest in weather. His education includes 1 year of general education courses at Roane State Community College in 2015-2016, followed by completion of his B.S. in Meteorology at Western Kentucky University in 2019. During the summer and winter of 2018, he was also a student volunteer at the Morristown, Tennessee National Weather Service Office. He has been a general forecaster/meteorologist at the Morristown NWS office since January of 2020 after a 7-month Student Pathways Internship at the forecast office in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Brandon serves as the program manager for the student volunteering program, the climate information program, and a newly-formed office team that creates and publishes event summary pages following notable weather events in the area. In addition to forecasting and getting the message out to the public, he has a passion for mentoring students and new NWS employees as well as an interest in historical climate data and how teleconnections can be used to improve long-range forecasting.
David Hotz grew up in the cornfields of Indiana and worked on the farm during the summer months. My excitement of weather began early in my childhood. I have always been fascinated with the afternoon storm development especially when warnings were issued near my hometown. I was fortunate to go to Purdue University earning a B.S. degree in Meteorology in 1986 and was a COOP student at the Climate Analysis Center at Washington, D.C.
My National Weather Service career began at the Weather Service Office at Bristol, Tennessee in August 1986, and then transferred to the Agricultural Weather Service Center (AWSC) Stoneville, Mississippi as an Agricultural Forecaster in January 1988. In December 1990, I transferred to the National Weather Service Office at Amarillo, Texas as a Journeyman Forecaster where I had the great opportunity of helping to spin up one of the first modernized Weather Service Forecast Offices (WSFO). I later transferred to the Weather Forecast Office at Morristown, Tennessee as a General Forecaster and was promoted to the Senior Forecaster position and then Science and Operations Officer (SOO) in 2005.
I have had the pleasure of working with numerous creative and talented NWS, NOAA, and academic partners on various projects and programs during my career. I have learned that having good mentors and coaches are very important, especially early in your career. Having people that are willing to share their knowledge and experiences helps to guide your efforts, provides encouragement and motivation for your career and personal growth.
AMS-SMC Chapter Meeting
Wednesday, September 20, 2023 · 7:00 – 8:00pm ET
Title: Double Trouble: Examining public protective actions during simultaneous tornado and flash flood threats in the U.S. Southeast
Presenting Author: Dr. Jennifer First, Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee, College of Social Sciences
Abstract:
Background: Severe weather often involves multiple overlapping threats, such as simultaneous tornadoes and flash floods (known as TORFF events). TORFF events are challenging for weather forecasters issuing warning protocols and for members of the public receiving those warning protocols because the recommended protective actions for the two hazards are contradictory––sheltering below ground during a tornado and moving to high ground during flash flooding events. Public response to these warnings, which occur approximately 400 times per year, has not yet been studied, and other critical questions related to TORFF climatology and public vulnerability remain.
Methods: We conducted a survey (N = 247) among adults exposed to one of eight clusters of TORFF events in southeastern Arkansas, southern Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and northern Alabama on March 25 and 27, 2021.
Results: Our results showed that during TORFF events, public perceptions of tornado threats led to prioritizing protective actions for tornadoes but decreased protective actions for flash flood events. In terms of exposure and vulnerability for this region, we found the greatest difference between TORFF-affected Census tracts and the rest of the U.S. was that TORFF-affected tracts had a higher mean percentage of homes that are mobile/manufactured.
Conclusion/Implications: Traditionally, disaster planning and communication have focused on specific, singular events. Our findings highlight that TORFF events create complex weather scenarios with conflicting safety protocols that create uncertainty and constraints on protective decisions, particularly among socially vulnerable populations living in mobile/manufactured homes. For the public living in high-TORFF risk areas, information on the frequency of TORFF events and guidance on how to take protective action during TORFF events is needed, particularly for socially vulnerable populations living in mobile/manufactured homes.
Bio: Dr. Jennifer M. First is an assistant professor in the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee and an external associate at the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine. She is an interdisciplinary social scientist, studying how people prepare and cope with climate change and severe weather events (e.g., tornadoes, floods, extreme heat), with an emphasis on examining and addressing social inequities. She has worked on various topics related to climate change and disasters, including risk communication, protective decision-making, mitigation and adaptation equity, health and well-being, assessment, and measurement. Her research approach is collaborative and community-driven, integrating physical, natural, and social sciences with community stakeholder engagement. She employs various convergent research methods, including surveys, interviews, case studies, remote sensing, visual tools (e.g., mapping, photography) historical data, experiments, and model building. Dr. First's work has been supported by funders such as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Integrated Heat Health Information Systems (NIHHIS), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Natural Hazards Center, and Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment. Prior to joining the University of Tennessee, College of Social Work, Dr. First worked as a program manager at the University of Missouri, Disaster and Community Crisis Center, and received her MSW and Ph.D. from the University of Missouri.
AMS-SMC Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 · 7:00 – 8:00pm ET
Title: The CopterSonde is in PERiLS—and other field mission stories from the BLISS group
Presenting Author: Elizabeth N Smith, Research Meteorologist NOAA/NSSL and Affiliate Faculty at OU School of Meteorology, Norman Oklahoma
Co-Authors: Tyler Bell, CIWRO/OU and NOAA/NSSL; Joshua Gebauer, CIWRO/OU and NOAA/NSSL; Tony Segales CIWRO/OU and OU Advanced Radar Research Center; Petra Klein OU College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences and OU School of Meteorology
Abstract: The Propagation, Evolution, and Rotation in Linear Storms or PERiLS project includes field operations in the 2022 and 2023 spring seasons. Previous Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes EXperiment-Southeast project, or VORTEX-SE (now VORTEX-USA) research efforts have continued to suggest that low-level regions above the surface are likely critical to tornado and severe weather potential in the southeastern United States. Complex land cover and land use coupled with frequent cloud cover make observations challenging in this part of the country. These challenges invite innovation in observational strategies and analysis methods. In support of PERiLS and VORTEX-USA, the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) deployed both University of Oklahoma and NOAA-NSSL boundary-layer profiler systems and three CopterSonde UAS sites in the southeastern United States. By coupling state-of-the-art ground-based profilers and UAS platforms we are exploring new methods of measuring properties critical to high-impact and life-threatening weather conditions: low-level wind shear, low-level thermodynamics, horizontal moisture flux and advection, buoyancy, turbulence properties, and more. We will review the successes and lessons learned from developing the mission, gaining approvals through NOAA, operating multiple UAS sites simultaneously in challenging conditions, and overall operational and scientific success. In addition to PERiLS, highlights from extensive field activity over the previous 2 years will be included ranging from deployments in mountain valleys of Colorado to the Gulf Coast of Texas to, you guessed it, chasing tornadoes. A brief overview of our outlook for science, development, and deployment will also be shared as we look toward the rest of 2023 and beyond.
Bio: Dr. Elizabeth Smith has been a research meteorologist at NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory since January 2020. Her scientific work at NSSL focuses on boundary layer processes relevant to near- and pre-storm environments and convection initiation, and she specializes in boundary layer profiler observations. She earned a Ph.D. in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma in December of 2018 and spent a postdoctoral year at OU’s NOAA Cooperative Institute. Before graduate study at OU, she earned a B.S. in Meteorology at the California University of Pennsylvania—now called PennWest California—in 2014. Dr. Smith was born and raised a couple hundred miles up the Appalachian chain in the West Virginia hills and is a first generation college graduate. Beyond her specialty-specific contributions, Dr. Smith is invested in making science and scientific workplaces inclusive.
AMS-SMC Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, January 17, 2023 · 7:00 – 8:00pm ET
Title: Terrain Enhanced Tornadogenesis and the Importance of Satellite Imagery in Rural Storm Surveys Across the Southern Appalachians
Presenting Author: Jeremy L. Buckles, NOAA/NWS Morristown, TN
Co-Authors: Matt Anderson, NOAA/NWS Huntsville, AL; David Bodine, Advanced Radar Research Center and School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma; Anthony Reinhart, NOAA/OAR/National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma
Abstract: It is well documented that complex terrain can influence tornadogenesis and magnitude. Case studies and high resolution modeling have shown that vortex stretching as a rotating updraft descends in elevation can result in tornadogenesis and increasing magnitude. A single supercell produced three tornado tracks in the remote and rough terrain of Scott County, TN. Sentinel-2 satellite imagery was used to supplement tornado track information in rural parts of Scott County that were inaccessible by conducting an Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) difference between two satellite passes on April 9 and April 4, 2021. Differential reflectivity (Zdr) columns and reflectivity (Z) height were analyzed to gauge thunderstorm intensity over time. Base velocity was used to assess low-level and mid-level rotational velocity to examine storm scale rotation as the supercell moved northeast across Scott County, TN along the Cumberland Plateau.
Analysis of low-level velocity data shows a strengthening rotational couplet during the time when an EF-0 tornado and a weak EF-2 tornado formed. Low-level velocity begins to weaken as the storm tracks northeast across Straight Fork Mountain at an elevation of approximately 700 meters into the valley below. This is a quick descent of approximately 200 meters over a distance of near 650 meters as the tornado re-develops and strengthens to an EF-2 magnitude. Importantly, the tornado developed and strengthened while storm scale analysis showed a weakening rotational couplet. Having a better understanding of terrain impacts on tornadoes can assist warning forecasters with additional situational awareness in regions of poor radar coverage and assist emergency management personnel in community preparedness efforts. High resolution available satellite imagery is also becoming increasingly necessary as a supplemental tool for storm surveys, especially in rural areas.
Bio: Jeremy Buckles is an East Tennessee native who has had a lifelong passion for weather and forecasting across the complex terrain of the Southern Appalachians. Jeremy completed a B.S. in Meteorology (2013) and a M.S. in Meteorology (2015) from Mississippi State University. Prior to joining the National Weather Service (NWS), Jeremy worked in undergraduate and graduate research positions in computational sciences and environmental protection at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and volunteered at the NWS Morristown and WATE-TV Knoxville. In 2016, Jeremy began his NWS career as a meteorologist at the NWS Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Morristown, TN. Since 2020, Jeremy has been a Lead Meteorologist at the NWS WFO Morristown, TN and manages the office operational Impact-Based Decision Support Services program, radar operations, and radar training. He is also active in research to operations pertinent to local terrain influences and effects. Jeremy is married to his wife, Kelsey, and they have two children.
AMS-SMC Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, September 13, 2022 · 7:00 – 8:00pm ET
Title: The Effects of Terrain on Observed Weather in The Southeast U.S.
Authors: Grant Goodge (NOAA)
Abstract: After 70 years of sky watching in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina which included living and observing at elevations from 830 to 4,370 feet. Also, as pilot in command for 770 hours over 30 of those years, and 50 years of viewing satellite imagery, I gained an ever-increasing perspective on how much the terrain affected both the meteorology and climate of the area. This was true in both the horizontal and vertical realms of the atmosphere. Therefore, it my desire to share as many examples as possible of these effects with the SMC-AMS attendees.
Bio: https://www.atdd.noaa.gov/about-us/staff-directory/grant-goodge-profile/
AMS-SMC Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, May 24, 2022 · 7:00 – 8:00pm
Title: The use of small uncrewed aircraft systems for atmospheric research at NOAA/ATDD
Authors: Edward Dumas (NOAA/ATDD) and Travis J. "TJ" Schuyler (NOAA/ATDD)
Abstract: NOAA/ATDD has deployed small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUxS) to advance measurement capabilities in the lower atmospheric boundary layer since 2015. This talk will provide a general overview of the sUxS measurements ATDD has performed for both targeted field studies across the U.S. and quasi-routine operations in Oliver Springs, TN. In addition, we will present on ATDD's use of sUxS to provide near real-time data to enhance the operation of HYSPLIT, a modeling tool developed by NOAA's Air Resources Laboratory that forecasts the dispersion of air particles through the atmosphere for a wide variety of applications. Results will be shown from recent sUxS flights at the Oliver Springs airport that tested the feasibility of enhancing HYSPLIT runs using profiles of temperature, relative humidity, and winds obtained by sUxS. Finally, we will present a glimpse of future plans with ATDD's sUxS program.
Bio:
Mr. Edward Dumas is a computer programmer, engineer, and pilot with NOAA/ATDD who has been involved in making atmospheric boundary layer measurements for nearly 30 years utilizing various types of full-scale and small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUxS). His professional experience with sUxS includes operating NOAA’s DJI S-1000, MD4-1000, Meteomatics Meteodrone SSE, and APH-28 vertical takeoff and landing sUxS aircraft, as well as the BlackSwift S2 fixed-wing sUxS aircraft since 2015. Most recently, he has been utilizing sUxS to make high-fidelity measurements of kinematics and thermodynamics in the lower atmospheric boundary layer for both targeted field studies and routine measurements in the East Tennessee region. Ed also performs calibration and checkout work for the sensors that are integrated on NOAA's UxS aircraft. Additionally, he is an avid radio-controlled model airplane pilot, having flown various types of R/C models for both fun and competition since he was 10 years old.
Travis J. Schuyler (TJ) is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO) working in-residence at NOAA Air Resources Laboratory’s Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division (NOAA/ARL/ATDD). TJ received his PhD in chemistry from the University of Kentucky utilizing small uncrewed aircraft system (UxS) payloads he designed, programmed, and deployed to advance our understanding of ammonia, methane, and carbon dioxide mixing ratios in the lower atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) attributed to biogenic and anthropogenic pollution sources. He is now leading the evaluation of new fast-response temperature, moisture, and wind sensors for calculating heat fluxes in the boundary layer via UxS. Working as a part of the CIWRO’s ‘Boundary Layer Processes’ team, his mission is to dynamically sample the ABL and use novel observation approaches to assist in developing improved land-atmosphere parametrizations for applications in short-term and medium-range weather forecasting. Through this work, he aims to enhance the applicability of UxS boundary layer measurements by scaling UxS-collected measurements to model grid sizes over complex terrain using a geostatistical approach.
AMS-SMC Chapter Meeting
Monday, January 31, 2022 · 7:00 – 8:00pm
Title: Impact of the Arctic Oscillation (AO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Pacific/North American Pattern (PNA), Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), and El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on Local Weather Patterns
Authors: Brandon Wasilewski, Meteorologist NOAA/NWS Morristown, TN
Abstract: In recent years, Impact-Based Decision Support Services (IDSS) have become increasingly central to the daily operations of the National Weather Service. Significant technological/ modeling improvements, population increases, and societal changes have all led to the increased overall demand for weather support from core partners in the community. IDSS is a top priority following these changes, which has been shown to include long-range situational awareness. Researchers within academia and the meteorology/climatology field at large have studied the utilization of the MJO as well as other teleconnections in long-range impact-based forecasting. In addition to the MJO, the ENSO, AO, PNA, and NAO all vary on different timescales and impact large-scale weather patterns in various ways during different parts of the year. These patterns have been tied to several impactful weather events/regimes in the region and can be forecast on varying timescales from various sources. This presentation will examine the basics of these teleconnections, their forecastability, and implications on local weather patterns with some historical examples. Future research could potentially include ways to incorporate this knowledge into long-range situational awareness for core partners.
Bio: Brandon Wasilewski has lived in East Tennessee since he moved to Anderson County in the beginning of 2007 at the age of 10 with an already developed interest in weather. His education includes 1 year of general education courses at Roane State Community College in 2015-2016, followed by completion of his B.S. in Meteorology at Western Kentucky University in 2019. During the summer and winter of 2018, he was also a student volunteer at the Morristown, Tennessee National Weather Service Office. He has been a general forecaster/meteorologist at the Morristown NWS office since January of 2020 after a 7-month Student Pathways Internship at the forecast office in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Brandon serves as the program manager for the student volunteering program, the climate information program, and a newly-formed office team that creates and publishes event summary pages following notable weather events in the area. In addition to forecasting and getting the message out to the public, he has a passion for mentoring students and new NWS employees as well as an interest in historical climate data and how teleconnections can be used to improve long-range forecasting.
AMS-SMC Chapter Meeting
Thursday, September 16, 2021 · 7:00 – 8:00p.
Title: The Tennessee Climate Office: Current Services, Ongoing Research, and Future Goals
Authors: Andrew Joyner and Will Tollefson, Tennessee State Climate Office, will be presenting.
Abstract: For over a decade Tennessee was one of only two states without an official state climate office. In 2016, the Tennessee Climate Office (TCO) at East Tennessee State University was established to fulfil the basic responsibilities of a state climate office. In January 2021, the TCO, in coordination with the American Association of State Climatologists (AASC), became the official climate office for the state. Climate influences various sectors of our state economy including agriculture, transportation, tourism, recreation, and the environment. The mission of the TCO is to provide climate-related services to state, local and federal agencies, businesses, and the citizens of Tennessee. These services are separated into three primary areas: extension, research, and education. Within extension, the TCO provides the most accurate climate information to the citizens of Tennessee, assist Tennessee state agencies in climate-environment interaction issues and related applications, and increases public awareness of variations in Tennessee’s climate and environment to aid in long-range planning. Within research, the TCO studies Tennessee’s climate and its interaction with the environment, and investigates the effects of climatic variations related to hazard mitigation and public health. Within education, the TCO interacts with K-12 schools, community college and university teachers and students, and with other community organizations on different aspects of Tennessee’s climate and environment. Ongoing and future efforts include establishing, operating, and maintaining an extensive meteorological network across Tennessee and archiving and disseminating data to the public, developing forecasts that assist in resource management, and developing sector-specific tools and datasets as needed. We also plan to assist extension scientists by integrating climate information into applications such as agricultural and environmental models. Examples of extension services, research initiatives, tools/data resources, and education materials will be provided to highlight the increasing impact and integration of the TCO across Tennessee and to spur discussion on current gaps in climate services and education across the state.
Bio:Andrew Joyner is an Associate Professor of Geosciences at East Tennessee State University. He established the Tennessee Climate Office (TCO) in 2016 and became the official Tennessee State Climatologist in January 2021. Additionally, he is the Director of the Geoinformatics and Disaster Science (GADS) Lab and much of his research focuses on hazard mitigation/analysis, biogeography, geospatial analysis, and public health.
William Tollefson is a Lecturer of Geosciences at East Tennessee State University and the Tennessee Assistant State Climatologist. Since 2017, he has created statewide monthly climate reports and provided drought status input for the US Drought Monitor. He is also the Director of Geospatial & Hazards Analysis for the Geoinformatics and Disaster Science (GADS) Lab.
AMS-SMC Chapter Meeting
Thursday, May 13, 2021 · 7:00 – 8:00pm
Author: Daniel (Danny) Burrow, Ph.D. Candidate, Tennessee Fellow, Department of Geography, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Title: Hazardous weather and human response in the Southeast United States
Abstract: "Effectively mitigating the human costs of future hazardous weather events requires examining meteorological threats, their long-term patterns, and human response to these events. The southeastern United States is a region that has both a high climatological risk and a high societal vulnerability to many different meteorological hazards. Here, I study hazardous weather and human response in the Southeast through two different lenses: identifying uniquely simultaneous hazards posed by tropical cyclones, and examining patterns in intended response to tornado watches. I find that simultaneous and collocated tornado and flash flood warnings are common in strong tropical cyclones, particularly those that move slowly after landfall. Finally, factors including age, income, self-efficacy beliefs, and knowledge of and experience with tornadoes affect one’s intended response to a tornado watch. These studies produce new contributions to the state of knowledge on both the natural and social elements of hazards studies."
Bio: Daniel Burow is a PhD candidate in the Department of Geography at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Before coming to UT, he earned his MS at the University of North Dakota and BS at Valparaiso University. His research and teaching interests are on hazardous weather and climate events and their influence on social and natural systems. In August of 2021, he will be starting a position in the Meteorology Program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL."
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