| Southern California wildfires October 20 to November 3, 2003 - :6470 | National Weather Service (NWS)
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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,
  • Keywords:
  • 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.

  • Document Type:
    Professional Paper
  • Collection(s):
    National Weather Service (NWS)
  • Place as Subject:
    California
  • Supporting Files:
    No Additional Files
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      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      1997
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "The primary purpose of this Service Assessment is to document the National Weather Service's (NWS) performance in fulfilling its mission of providing timely warnings and accurate forecasts prior to and during the tornado outbreak of March 1, 1997, i...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 552.84 KB]
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      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      2010
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "A magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred on September 29, 2009, 120 miles southwest of American Samoa. This major earthquake generated a tsunami that took many lives and caused significant destruction to neighboring islands in the Pacific Ocean. With onl...
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      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      2004
      Series:
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      Description:
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      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      2006
      Series:
      Service assessment
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      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      2005
      Series:
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      Description:
      "At approximately 4:00 p.m. local time on March 6, 2004, a cluster of thunderstorms moved through the Baltimore metropolitan area producing wind gusts of 40 to 55 mph. A water taxi loaded with 25 people in Baltimore's Inner Harbor capsized in the thu...
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    6. Spring 2011 middle & lower Mississippi River Valley floods
      Corporate Author:
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      Published:
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      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service
      Published:
      2011
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "On May 1-2, 2010, record-breaking rains struck Kentucky and the Tennessee Valley region. Western and Middle Tennessee were hardest hit with local amounts of 18-20 inches to the south and west of Greater Nashville along the Interstate 40 corridor. Mu...
      File Type:
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      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      2009
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "During June 2008, record or major flooding occurred across large areas of the central United States. The flooding had devastating impacts, with 11 people losing their lives. Damages have been estimated at over $5 billion. The states most severely af...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 5.28 MB]
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      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      2003
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
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      File Type:
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      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      2010
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "Copious moisture drawn into the southeastern United States from the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico produced showers and thunderstorms from Friday, September 18, through Monday, September 21, 2009. Rainfall amounts across the region totaled 5-7 inches, ...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 5.28 MB]
    11. The historic South Carolina floods of October 1-5, 2015
      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      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:
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    12. Blizzard of '96, January 6-8, 1996
      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      1996
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "January 6-8, 1996, a major "nor'easter" paralyzed the Eastern Seaboard for the better part of a week. Right on the heels of a Federal Government shutdown that furloughed most Federal employees, some of the heaviest snow of the late 20th century blan...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 1.87 MB]
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      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      2004
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      Overall, the NWS service to the nation during Isabel was exemplary. Emergency management from the local county and city level to the highest officials in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the media, and the citizens of the communities a...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 1.34 MB]
    14. South Texas floods, October 17-22, 1998
      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      1999
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
      "Torrential rains over south and southeast Texas during the weekend of October 17-18, 1998, led to widespread and deadly flooding. A total of 31 people died during this event, and property damage estimates approached three quarters of a billion dolla...
      File Type:
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      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      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:
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      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      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]
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      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      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:
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      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      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...
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      Corporate Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      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:
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      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 Author:
      United States, National Weather Service,
      Published:
      2015
      Series:
      Service assessment
      Description:
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      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 2.72 MB]
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