Urban Meteorology for Homeland Security

Presented to

Urban Meteorology Forum

September 21, 2004

Nancy Suski

Director

Emergency Preparedness & Response

Programs, Plans & Budget

Nancy.suski@dhs.gov

202-254-5743

Science & Technology Directorate

2April 16, 2004

Whatever the situation -emergency respondersare there first.

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DHS capabilities can be strengthened by support from the meteorological community

Systems studies and planning tools

Detection and characterization Urban monitoring

Facility protection

Agriculture

Response and Recovery

Forensics and attribution

Field demonstrations

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Systems Studies System Studies Supported by Countermeasure Simulations

Detailed, integrated, interactive, real-time, multiple-scale, multiple technology simulations needed at local, regional, national and global levels.

Large scope and diversity in coupling bio-surveillance, consequence management, and public health/agricultural response system simulations.

Real-time and archived meteorological data appropriate to multiple systems and applications is required to support objectives.

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Detect and CharacterizeUrban Monitoring

Wide Area (BioWatch) + Building Clusters + Hi-value Facilities

Targeted Monitoring

Special Events Agriculture

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Wide Area Monitoring

Sensor Placement Meteorological data needed at appropriate resolution to optimize sensor placement

High value assets

Wide-Area monitoring

Special events

Agricultural assets

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Urban Meteorology

Urban Canopy Characterization Complex terrain observed in typical cityscape

requires a better understanding of flow fields in the urban environment

Uncertainties in model input data and predictions Acquire quality-assured datasets for urban

dispersion model development and validationUncertainties in met data and forecast data need

to be characterized Models need to be validated with data from field

trials

.

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Incident Characterization & Emergency Response

Modeling and prediction tools needed to support incident characterization

High resolution real-time and archived meteorological nowcast and forecast data needed to support modeling.

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….and making our cities safer and more resilient to attack…Making our nation safer and

more resilient to attack

Interagency Modeling & Assessment Center (IMAAC)

New York City Urban Dispersion Program

Biological Warning & Incident Characterization System Study

PROTECT & PROACT facility protection

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Interagency Modeling & Atmospheric Assessment Center (IMAAC) Integrates the best and brightest

scientific capability with the vast emergency response capacity of the federal government

Distributes atmospheric hazard predictions to federal, state, and local response agencies to assure a common operating picture

Provides expert interpretation of results to federal, state, and local government, especially DHS HSOC and FEMA NEOC

Eliminates confusing and conflicting hazard predictions

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IMAAC Implementation Plan

Interagency Modeling and Assessment Center has been created under DHS leadership with an interagency steering committee

Interim operations have been established at the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center in Livermore, CA

IMAAC will support a collaborative R&D program as well as a 24/7 operational capabilities

Operations include Production & distribution of hazards products Participation in National Exercise Program Training and awareness programs on IMAAC access and products Connectivity to federal, state and local EOCs and incident command posts, as needed Expert “on site” liaisons

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NYC Urban Dispersion ProgramGeneral Objectives

Enhance NYC’s emergency capabilities for addressing potential airborne releases of harmful materials.

Advance our understanding and characterization of the effects of urban processes on atmospheric dispersion in large cities leading to improved and validated urban parameterizations for atmospheric dispersion models.

Couple indoor and outdoor studies to further our understanding and characterization of outdoor-indoor exchange.

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Urban Dispersion ProgramApproach

Meteorological Network Task - Enhance the meteorological network in and around NYC to more effectively describe the complex circulations governing dispersion. Provide data in “near-real-time” to centers.

Radiological Monitoring Network Task - Enhance a network of radiological monitors for detecting radiological threats in NYC. Provide data in “near-real-time” to centers.

Field Studies Task - Conduct tracer field studies to understand and characterize urban processes affecting dispersion and provide data to evaluate models. Conduct coupled outdoor-indoor field studies.

Urban Modeling Task - Exercise existing meteorological and dispersion models to help design the networks and field studies. Advance parameterizations of the effects of urban processes on atmospheric dispersion.

Technology Transfer Task - Transfer the technologies to NYC emergency personnel. Ongoing throughout the duration of the program.

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Environmental Monitoring

Detecting the Agent Directly

(Wide Area Monitoring, Hi -value Facilities & Special Events)

BioWarning / Incident Characterization System

For all delivery means (air, water, food, vector-borne)

Allows earliest medical intervention

Defense of Cities StudyDefense of Cities StudyThe Washington Institute & Sandia National The Washington Institute & Sandia National LaboratoriesLaboratories

Detects largeattacks

Detects all levelof attacks

Limited to epidemic& outcome stages

Integrated Biosurveillance

Detecting the Effects of the Agent

(Public Health, Syndromic, Non-Traditional & Animal/Plant)

IncidentCharacterization

Tools(plume modeling,

Epi-modeling)

Effective ResponseStrategies

Biological Warning and Incident Characterization System

BWIC - An integrated system for bio-warning and incident characterization

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Program for Response Options and Technology Enhancements for Chem/Bio Terrorism (PROTECT)

Network of chemical sensors linked to metro video surveillance

Transitioned to operational status under WMATA in DC Metro FY03

Provides below and above ground plume predications

Similar test bed established in Boston Metro FY03

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Protective and Responsive Options for Airport Counter-Terrorism (PROACT)

Goals Increase near-term preparedness Develop assessment processes for defense system

design Demonstrate chemical & biological defense components

Activities Vulnerability assessment Model-based analysis Facility characterization tests Bio-detection system development & testing Chemical detector testing

Bio-Chem facility protection options for airports

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Summary of DHS Urban Meteorological Requirements

Wide-Area Monitoring Localized high resolution data to support sensor placement and effective detection

strategies

System Studies – Modeling and Simulation Real-time, integrated hazard prediction/analysis tools using high resolution-

meteorological data

Incident Characterization and Response Strategies

Validation- Field Demonstrations Validated models with well quantified uncertainties

Support field demonstrations to test prototype technologies

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Collaboration among federal, state and local assets for emergency response is an essential element homeland security