In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog

Mark Twain would probably be happy to know that finally citizens aren’t going to be limited to talking about the weather, but now they can do something about it –or at least something about the National Weather Service (NWS).

That’s because the Service is now soliciting public input on its draft Strategic Plan using an online system along the lines of the last year’s National Dialogue on the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR). At the online NWS Strategic Plan feedback webpage, users can submit ideas, discuss and vote on others’ suggestions, and “the best ideas bubble up to the top.

The strategic plan will provide the framework for guiding NWS activities over the next ten years. In an introductory letter, NWS Assistant Administrator Jack Hayes writes:

…population growth, vulnerable infrastructure, and an increasingly interdependent economy are creating new challenges for the Nation – including increased vulnerabilities to weather and climate. At the same time, science and technology are rapidly advancing and providing potential solutions that will enable the National Weather Service to better meet our country’s needs. This strategic plan is our best effort to anticipate service needs in the 2020 time frame, project what science and technology will allow, and establish meaningful outcome-oriented goals and objectives for NWS 2020.

To participate, click here. The public comment period ends on September 7th.