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<br /> <br />of many of the people had not prepared them to take proper actions. NOAA <br />disaster preparedness literature contains the admonition to go immediately <br />to high ground, but it was apparent that many of the people in the canyon <br />were unaware of the need for such action. The disaster preparedness contacts <br />by WSFO Denver over the past two years have been inadequate to assure that <br />the public and local officials are aware of the dangers involved and proper <br />protective measures to be taken. WSFO Denver is one of 33 WSFOs which do <br />not have disaster preparedness specialists assigned. <br /> <br />Recommendation: NOAA should take a number of steps to increase the <br />effectiveness of its disaster preparedness activities: <br /> <br />(a) Complete manning the disaster preparedness program nationwide. <br />Budgetary action will be needed. NWS contacts with local <br />officials (safety, civil defense, and law enforcement) should <br />be carried out on a scheduled basis with sufficient travel <br />resources to assure that the schedule does not slip. <br /> <br />(b) NWS should continue to work with local officials by providing, <br />where appropriate and requested, community self-help flash flood <br />forecast schemes or assistance in the proper siting of flash <br />flood alarms. <br /> <br />(c) The strongest possible representations should be made to Federal, <br />State, and local agencies and to private owners and operators <br />of recreation areas to assure that they are aware of the flash <br />flood danger and proper safety actions to be taken if a disaster <br />threatens. They must be made aware of their responsibilities <br />to help educate and warn the people using their facilities. <br /> <br />(d) Arrangements should be made with various camping and outdoor <br />publications for inclusion of materials on the flash flood <br />threat and safety actions which must be taken by each person. <br /> <br />(e) Mass media and school systems should be enlisted in the disaster <br />preparedness program to help educate the public on the dangers <br />of heavy rainstorms and proper life-preserving measures. <br /> <br />Finding 4: NOAA Weather Radio was not used for the dissemination of the <br />7:35 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. warnings because the affected area was beyond <br />the normal 35-mile broadcast range. This conforms to NWS instructions. <br /> <br />Recommendation: NWS instructions for NOAA Weather Radio should be revised <br />to require dissemination of watches and warnings when they apply to areas <br />in or adjacent to the normal broadcast area. This will help to insure that <br />people will be alerted in the event they are traveling or planning to go into <br />the affected area and that mass media stations can pick up the broadcast and <br />relay it to their listeners. <br /> <br />40 <br />