Contact: Phil Hearn
Weather enthusiasts, students and professionals will share their meteorological knowledge during a three-day Southeast Severe Storms Symposium that kicks off Friday [Jan. 16] at Mississippi State.
Experts in almost every aspect of meteorology will be at the university to discuss such topics as radar interpretation, hurricanes, emergency management, broadcasting, and winter weather during an event leading up to the 30th anniversary year of the 1974 "Super Outbreak."
Featured speakers for the Bost Extension Center sessions include:
- Les Lemon, creator of the "Lemon Technique" process of identifying severe storms by radar, who will deliver an eight-hour radar training seminar beginning at 8 a.m. Friday;
- Jon Davies, a private meteorologist in Wichita, Kan., who will deliver a presentation at 8:30 a.m. Sunday [the 18th] on thermodynamic parameters related to the Tornado Outbreak of May 8-9, 2003; and
- Richard Knabb, science and operations officer at the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Prediction Center in Miami, who will focus on technology infusion, training and advances in operational forecasting during a special keynote address at 10:20 a.m. Sunday.
The symposium--a regular spring semester event at MSU--is sponsored by the East Mississippi Chapter of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association.
The symposium's programs will take place over a full day Saturday and on Sunday morning. In addition to the Super Outbreak of April 3-4, 1974, specific topics will include the Tornado Outbreak Week of May 4-10, 2003; severe weather and flash flooding, including the record-breaking North Alabama tornado and flooding of May 6, 2003; super cell radar echoes and tornado locations; squall lines and derechoes (windy squall lines of thunderstorms); severe weather environments; 2003 tropical season; and severe weather partnerships.
Michael E. Brown, an assistant professor in MSU's department of geosciences, will welcome participants Friday and lead a 4:40-5 p.m. discussion Saturday on tornado risk assessments for Mississippi.
The 1974 Super Outbreak is considered the worst tornado outbreak in U.S. history. In all, nearly 150 twisters touched down in 13 states: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Before it was over 16 hours later, 330 people were dead and 5,484 were injured in a damage path covering more than 2,500 miles.
The symposium agenda is available at http://www.msstate.edu/org/nwa/symposium.htm. Brown, the local AMS chapter adviser, may be reached for additional information at (662) 325-2906.
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NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: Symposium speakers will make themselves available for media interviews 5:40-6:30 p.m. Saturday. For any assistance, contact Dr. Brown prior at the above listed number.