Thank you all for coming today.
It seems like we just said farewell to last year's record-breaking hurricane season and here we are, getting ready for the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season which will start on June 1. We know that public awareness and public preparedness are the best defenses against a hurricane, and accordingly President Bush has designated May 21-27 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. During this week, private organizations, public officials, and government agencies will highlight the preparations necessary for the hurricane season.
One of the key federal agencies dealing with hurricane preparedness is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). And preparing is what NOAA has been doing since last year's record-shattering season.
NOAA did an exceptional job last year communicating timely and accurate forecasts to the public. Having accurate and advance warning is a godsend for those in harm's way. And with another active season on the horizon, we're going to need those advance warnings as much as ever.
NOAA also plays a vital role after a storm makes landfall. After Katrina, NOAA navigation response teams helped reopen ports and harbors, monitored fisheries, tracked hazardous materials spills, and provided aerial surveys of affected areas.
To prepare for 2006, NOAA has taken a number of measures that I want to highlight for you.
First, we've made some improvements to our forecast products.
Communicating accurate and timely forecast information is essential to saving lives and property. Emergency management officials and citizens need the right information at the right time to make the right decisions.
The Internet is one of the most popular ways of getting that information. So we've increased bandwidth to keep information flowing during the height of a storm, when Internet use peaks. And, this summer NOAA will have a new consolidated "NOAA Watch" Web site. This will be a one-stop page where users can easily access all the resources NOAA provides for hurricane planning, preparedness, response and recovery.
NOAA has also strengthened its ability to "see" storms earlier and in greater detail. This involves a couple of measures.
One is a new linkup with Europe's weather satellites to allow better analysis of storms as they develop in the eastern Atlantic. A second is a brand new, state-of-the-art facility that will enhance our ability to capture and analyze the data satellites provide. And, a new, soon-to-be-launched geostationary satellite will provide more accurate and reliable measurements of these storms.
Finally, the National Hurricane Center added four new forecasters as well as new products that better communicate forecast probability.
All told, NOAA forecasts should be better than ever this year, and more accessible.
The second thing we've done this year is to harden NOAA facilities.
NOAA facilities from Maine to Texas are at risk for a hurricane strike. So we've taken actions to ensure that all NOAA products and services will be available, even if we're directly affected by a storm.
We've hardened facilities and implemented additional backup capabilities. We've worked with our partners at the federal, state and local level, including FEMA, to improve communication and coordination capabilities, and to streamline their access to our services.
So the bottom line is this: You can depend on NOAA. We are prepared for the 2006 hurricane season. And we will continue making improvements to help citizens and businesses prepare for this ongoing period of increased hurricane activity.
President Bush, Commerce Secretary Gutierrez, and I all support NOAA's efforts. We have great confidence in the men and women of this agency to provide vital products and services before, during, and after the storm.
Now, let me turn it over to Admiral Lautenbacher who will give you this year's outlook.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
