WeatherBug
Television Radio Print

Homeland Security

The Role of Weather Information in Disaster Response & Recovery.

In August of 2002, AWS formed a partnership with the NWS and NOAA to be a key provider of critical weather information which will assist with our nation’s ongoing security efforts against terrorism. Until that time, the NWS did not have any weather monitoring systems in communities – only airports.

Under terms of the agreement, WeatherBug sites will automatically feed their weather information to the NWS in real-time. The NWS will integrate this valuable data into weather forecast and plume dispersion models.

For broadcasters that join the WeatherBug program, the AWS/NWS partnership, called the Homeland Security WeatherBug Network (HSWN), has several benefits:

  • Increased reliability of network -- sites are required to become HSWN certified to remain online.
  • Increased site accuracy -- NWS will assist with QA/QC of the network's weather data.
  • Elevated significance of WeatherBug -- it's a program that helps communities with their emergency preparedness activity in a meaningful and significant way.
  • Differentiated from the competition -- only WeatherBug partners can affiliate themselves with the Homeland Security WeatherBug Network.
  • Improved outreach to the community – it's a meaningful contribution to the community that is greatly appreciated.