[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 13 (Thursday, February 10, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 10, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 HONORING DR. ELBERT W. FRIDAY, JR., DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER 
                  SERVICE, EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR--1993

                                 ______


                       HON. GEORGE E. BROWN, JR.

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 10, 1994

  Mr. BROWN of California. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, February 4, 1994, 
Dr. Elbert W. Friday, Jr., Director of the National Weather Service 
[NWS] was honored as Executive of the Year for 1993 by the Federal 
Executive Institute Alumni Association [FEIAA]. The FEIAA is one of the 
primary educational institutions for developing executive leaders in 
the Federal, State and local governments. The honorary award recognizes 
executive leadership of an organization which produces substantial, 
innovative achievements, resulting in high-quality public service.
  Dr. Friday was selected as Assistant Administrator for Weather 
Services at the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] in March 1988. Dr. Friday, received 
his bachelor of science degree, with special distinction, in 
engineering physics from the University of Oklahoma in 1961. He was 
selected for an Air Force scholarship in 1966 and completed his 
master's degree in 1967 and his Ph.D. in 1969. Both graduate degrees 
are in meteorology and both were earned at the University of Oklahoma. 
He was a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Command and Staff 
College in 1972 and graduated from the Air War College in 1976.
  As Director of the National Weather Service, Dr. Friday is overseeing 
the most fundamental change in its history that, when accomplished, 
will yield revolutionary improvements in its capabilities to provide 
weather services. Modernization of the weather service involves new 
observational technology, powerful new information and forecast 
systems, and a new organizational structure. It will provide a dramatic 
improvement in weather services to the National Weather Service, 
including more accurate and timely predictions of those weather events 
that have regular and dramatic impact on both private and public 
activities.
  By the turn of the century, the initial phase of modernization will 
be complete. This phase includes the installation of new weather 
technologies at 116 weather forecast offices in the United States and 
Puerto Rico, and 13 river forecast centers in the United States. New 
technologies at these offices will include: First, advanced Doppler 
radars capable of detecting severe weather; second, automated surface 
observing systems providing hands-off 24 hour-a-day weather information 
at 1,000 stations across the Nation, and third, weather information 
processing systems capable of integrating, displaying, and 
communicating large data streams from various sources.
  In addition to the technologies at the local weather offices, other 
new technologies are to be deployed during the modernization process. 
Advanced instrumentation onboard new geostationary satellites will 
offer higher time and space resolution of developing weather systems, 
and onboard new polar orbiting satellites will provide improved 
measurements of atmospheric conditions such as temperature and 
humidity. Acquisition of new generation computers will process the 
increased data flow of the modernization and carry out the computations 
required for the new generation of sophisticated models.
  With the NWS modernization progressing well, the incremental costs of 
improving prediction services to a range of weather dependent sectors 
of the economy become relatively insignificant. Such advances during 
the next years will focus on the following industrial sectors:
  Aviation.--Where weather induced delays cost the airline industry 
$1.5 billion annually, or 45 percent of the industry's aggregate $10 
billion in losses over the last 3 years.
  Marine transportation.--Where 98 percent, by weight, of the Nation's 
international commerce is conveyed.
  Agriculture.--Where adverse environmental conditions cost the 
industry over $20 billion annually, more than the value of the entire 
U.S. corn crop.
  Wild fire control.--Where the 1991 East Bay Hills, in the San 
Francisco Bay area, fire destroyed over 3,000 dwellings and caused $1.5 
billion in damages.
  Surface transportation.--Where traffic accidents caused by adverse 
weather conditions take 5,000 American lives each year.
  Thanks to Dr. Friday and his many capable employees of the National 
Weather Service we have and are working toward understanding and 
predicting weather, climate, and the state of the Nation's rivers that 
have never been more important to the people of the United States and 
the world. This is no easy job as I am told the United States 
experiences more hazardous weather conditions than any other country in 
the world, and that we can expect a staggering assault from over 10,000 
violent thunderstorms; 1,000 tornadoes, and several hurricanes each and 
every year. I join with the FEIAA in honoring Dr. Friday and his 
distinguished career in the Federal Government.

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