The measure captures the count of significant and discrete OAR research and development products that have transitioned to development, demonstration, or an application. Products include transitions occurring within OAR and applying group(s) outside of OAR. This includes research, development, and demonstration performed and supported by OAR as well as utilization of OAR R&D products by external parties.

Americans live in the most severe weather-prone country on Earth. TsunamiReady Communities support a Weather-Ready Nation by preparing for the occurrence of high impact environmental events. On an annual basis NWS targets 50 new and renewed TsunamiReady communities pending funding availability.
A TsunamiReady County or Community or Tribe is defined as a coastal local government entity* that has the authority and ability to adopt the TsunamiReady recognition guidelines for the residents and visitors within its jurisdiction.
*The term “local government” here means –
(A) a county, parish (LA), borough (AK), or municipality (PR)
(B) an incorporated municipality, city, town, or township
(C) an Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, or Alaska Native village or organization
(D) a military installation

Description Digital Coast is a web-based platform that provides geospatial data, tools, and training to coastal communities. This measure, obtained via web statistics, provides a locational context that allows the effort to broadly assess where its users are coming from. Given that the Digital Coast effort is national in scope, yet local in its approach to providing geospatial information to address coastal issues, such as coastal resilience, this measure provides valuable information that is used to direct outreach efforts and support content development. The number of communities using Digital Coast is based on Census-designated places within coastal states, including all Census-defined cities, towns, townships, boroughs, and incorporated municipalities.

An Economic Benefit is a dollar value of all financial/contractual transactions, capacity investments and increases in sales to MBEs via the asisstance of MBDA programs, services and resources.

Tornado Warnings are issued to enable the public to get out of harm’s way and mitigate preventable loss. NWS forecasters issue approximately 2,900 Tornado Warnings per year, primarily between the Rockies and Appalachian Mountains. Tornado Warning statistics are based on a comparison of warnings issued and weather spotter observations of tornadoes and/or storm damage surveys from Weather Forecast Offices in the United States. The false alarm ratio (FAR) is the percentage of times a tornado warning was issued, but no tornado occurrence was verified. Most tornadoes cannot be visually tracked from beginning to end and post-storm damage surveying is the official method with which the NWS categorizes tornado characteristics (intensity, path length & width) but must rely on radar data to estimate the timing of the tornado track.

*Please also note that a FAR is the number of false alarms per the total number of warnings. If an FAR actual is higher than the target, then the target has not been met. If the actual is the same number or less, then it has been met or exceeded.

Tornado Warnings are issued to enable the public to get out of harm’s way and mitigate preventable loss. NWS forecasters issue approximately 2,900 Tornado Warnings per year, primarily between the Rockies and Appalachian Mountains. Tornado Warning statistics are based on a comparison of warnings issued and weather spotter observations of tornadoes and/or storm damage surveys from Weather Forecast Offices in the United States. Lead Time (LT) for a Tornado Warning is the difference between the time the warning was issued and the time the tornado occurred (based on certified reports) in minutes, assuming the tornado tracked within the bounds of the warned area. Lead Times for all tornado occurrences within the U.S. are averaged to get this statistic for a given fiscal year. This average includes all warned events with zero lead times and all unwarned events. Lead Time is calculated down to the minute for individual Tornado Warnings and tornadic events. Although the timing of the warning transmission is recorded to the nearest second, typically there is only an estimate to the nearest minute of when a tornado touches down. Additionally, even though we can compute the average tornado warning lead time to a precision of 30 second increments or less, the reporting of this value implies greater accuracy in the data based on scientific and logistical restrictions on tornado reporting and surveying. Most tornadoes cannot be visually tracked from beginning to end and post-storm damage surveying is the official method with which the NWS categorizes tornado characteristics (intensity, path length & width) but must rely on radar data to estimate the timing of the tornado track.

Each site within the National Marine Sanctuary System conducts or facilitates characterization, monitoring, and research to protect the resources in the system. A series of questions are posed to all sanctuaries as a starting point for the creation of periodic condition reports that rate the status and trends of key resources, processes, and resource services provided. One way to determine how comprehensively we are conducting monitoring in a sanctuary, or gathering information for use in the condition reports, is to quantify the proportion of relevant questions and ecosystem services for which experts are able to provide ratings. The higher the proportion, the more adequate the monitoring program.