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Southern California wildfires October 20 to November 3, 2003
Filetype[PDF-1.05 MB]


Details:
  • Corporate Authors:
    United States, National Weather Service,
  • Description:
    "Hot, dry offshore winds, known as Santa Ana Winds in southern California, coupled with long-term abnormally dry conditions across the area, set the stage for one of the more costly natural disasters in California history. During late October into early November 2003, fourteen wind driven wildfires swept across Southern California. These wildfires killed 22 people, destroyed 3,600 homes, charred nearly 740,000 acres of land, and caused more than $2 billion in property damage. Casualties and property loss were highest in the San Diego metropolitan area. These losses were a result of the Cedar Fire moving into urban areas on Sunday, October 26, 2003. Due to the magnitude of this event, we formed a service assessment team to examine the forecast and warning services provided to land managers, fire control personnel, emergency planners, media and the public. Service assessments provide a valuable contribution to ongoing efforts by the National Weather Service (NWS) to improve the quality, timeliness, and value of our products and services. Findings and recommendations from this assessment will improve techniques, products, services, and information provided to our partners and the American Public"--Preface.

  • Keywords:
  • Document Type:
    Professional Paper
  • Place as Subject:
    California
  • Collection(s):
    National Weather Service (NWS)
  • Main Document Checksum:
  • Supporting Files:
    No Additional Files
    1. Hurricane Fran, August 28 - September 8, 1996
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      1997
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "Fran was a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale when it made landfall on the North Carolina coast near Cape Fear on September 5, 1996. Besides sustained winds of 115 miles per hour (mph), the storm surge and high water marks to...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 966.31 KB]
    2. The historic tornadoes of April 2011
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2011
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "On April 27, 2011, a series of devastating tornadoes struck the southeastern United States. This tornado event was one of the deadliest in the country since systematic tornado record keeping began in 1950. With 316 fatalities (31 in Mississippi, 234...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 4.32 MB]
    3. Hurricane Bertha : July 5-14, 1996
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      1997
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "Hurricane Bertha was an early season Category 2 storm when it made landfall on the coast of North Carolina on July 12, 1996. Twelve deaths have been directly attributed to Bertha with United States damages estimated at $270 million. Extensive evacua...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 1.41 MB]
    4. Hurricane Irene, August 21-30, 2011
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2012
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "On August 21-29, 2011, Hurricane Irene left a devastating imprint on the Caribbean and U.S. East Coast. The storm took the lives of more than 40 people, caused an estimated $6.5 billion in damages, unleashed major flooding, downed trees and power li...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 4.22 MB]
    5. Tropical Storm Allison : heavy rains and floods, Texas and Louisiana, June 2001
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2001
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "Tropical Storm Allison was the most costly tropical storm in U.S. history. While the storm impacted a large part of the country, worst hit was southeast Texas and southern Louisiana. In these two areas alone, there were 24 fatalities and more than $...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 3.41 MB]
    6. Hurricane/post-tropical cyclone Sandy, October 22-29, 2012
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2013
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "On October 22-29, 2012, Hurricane/Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy moved from the Caribbean to the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, ultimately making landfall near Brigantine, NJ, around 7:30 p.m. on October 29. The storm resulted in an enormous impact to life and...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 2.82 MB]
    7. The Missouri/Souris River floods of May-August 2011
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2012
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "During the winter and spring of 2010-2011, record to near-record setting snow fell across a large portion of the northern United States Rocky Mountains and eastward into the Northern Plains states. A cool spring held the snowpack in place later than...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 2.77 MB]
    8. May 2013 Oklahoma tornadoes and flash flooding
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2014
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "From May 19 to May 31, 2013, a series of devastating weather events affected the area in and around Oklahoma City. Although this report focuses on three specific days, May 19, 20, and 31, the entire period was characterized by an active weather patt...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 1.22 MB]
    9. October 2016 Hurricane Matthew
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2017
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "Hurricane Matthew left a trail of destruction from the Caribbean to Virginia from September 29 - October 9, 2016. High winds, pounding surf, storm surge, and historic flooding led to widespread, devastating impacts along the southeast U.S. coastline...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 2.35 MB]
    10. Oklahoma/southern Kansas tornado outbreak of May 3, 1999
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service.
      Published Date:
      1999
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "On May 3, 1999, one of the largest tornado outbreaks in history struck west-central Oklahoma and southern Kansas, killing48 people, leaving thousands homeless and resulting in over $1 billion in property damage. Due to the magnitude of this event, t...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 4.83 MB]
    11. California drought : 2014 service assessment
      Personal Author:
      Werner, Kevin V.; McNutt, Chad; Anderson, Mike; Ewald, John; Gleason, Karin Lynn, 1973-; Hameedi, M. J.; Smallcomb, Chris; Stachelski, Chris; Wulff, Ryan;
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2015
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "NOAA commissioned this assessment of its services for decision makers impacted by the historic California drought that began in late 2011 and was exacerbated in 2014. This assessment focuses on (1) documenting impacts highlighted by decision makers ...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 2.72 MB]
    12. The historic South Carolina floods of October 1-5, 2015
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2016
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "The combination of a surface low-pressure system located along a stationary frontal boundary off the U.S. Southeast coast, a slow moving upper low to the west, and a persistent plume of tropical moisture associated with Hurricane Joaquin resulted in...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 7.05 MB]
    13. Pacific Northwest storms of December 1-3, 2007
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2008
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "From December 1 through December 3, 2007, three potent storm systems moved onshore along the Washington and Oregon coasts. These storms brought snow, hurricane force winds, coastal flooding, heavy rain and avalanches. Heavy rain and rapidly melting ...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 2.07 MB]
    14. The record front range and eastern Colorado floods of September 11-17, 2013
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2014
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "Copious amounts of tropical moisture flowed northward from the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico into eastern Colorado on September 9-16, 2013. The combination of a slow moving upper-level system over the Great Basin region, favorable upslope easterl...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 5.14 MB]
    15. Hurricane Floyd Floods of September 1999
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service.. United States, National Weather Service,.
      Published Date:
      2000
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "Hurrican Floyd impacted the U.S. East Coast from September 14 to 17, 1999. Torrential rains caused major river and flash flooding from the Carolinas to New England. In some areas, particularly North Carolina, the magnitude of the flooding was unprec...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 5.38 MB]
    16. Record tornado outbreaks of May 4-10, 2003
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2003
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "During the period May 4-10, 2003, an unprecedented number of tornadoes affected the central and southern United States. During this period, 393 tornadoes occurred across the central and southern U.S. resulting in 39 deaths across 4 states. Six of th...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 1.21 MB]
    17. La Plata, Maryland, tornado outbreak of April 28, 2002
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2002
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "A violent tornado, rated F4 on the Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale (see appendix A), moved across southern Maryland and devastated the town of La Plata. Tornadoes along the Atlantic coast are not common, and tornadoes of this magnitude are extremely ...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 2.41 MB]
    18. Mother's Day weekend tornado in Oklahoma and Missouri, May 10, 2008
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2009
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "Mother's Day Weekend, May 10-11, 2008, brought severe weather to many sections of the country. The greatest impact was in northeast Oklahoma and southwest Missouri. A tornado, rated EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, moved southeast from the town of ...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 1.55 MB]
    19. Ohio River Valley flood of March 1997
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, Office of Hydrology,
      Published Date:
      1998
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "A NWS evaluation team was sent to the Ohio River Valley following severe weather events in early March of 1997 that produced extensive flash flooding and record river flooding across the region. The team focused on the hardest hit areas in the Ohio ...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 496.21 KB]
    20. Northern Idaho and western Montana summer 2000 wildfires
      Corporate Authors:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published Date:
      2001
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "Federal and state land management organizations recognized the wildfires of 2000 as historic in both extent and duration. Due to the impact of these wildfires, a Service Assessment Team examined the warning and forecast services provided by the Nati...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 2.40 MB]
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