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r /""'~- ''-.'.''_'',0 .!".-. ~ . .' , H ~ - . , : Ii I I' f , t, 01 I r Ii , , . · Next, the federal government must continue to act as the source of quality meteorological observations by satellite, radar and surface observation systems, The expanding expense of maintaining these observation systems is creating budget stress but these sources of information must be preserved at all costs, Additionally, the federal government must continue to provide centralized and local QPF guidance and products as budget and funded manpower allows. The federal government should continue to act as the primary source of flash flood and flood watch and warning information for the general public through the River Forecast Centers and local Weather Forecast Offices, ~ · Finally, the private sector can provide both thunderstorm QPF forecasting techniques to the federal and local governments and, as needed, value- added QPF services directly to the emergency response community and local governments, Funding for these value-added services can come from local government flood control district taxes and funding. Due to reduced manpower available to federal services, the private sector offers a valuable and responsive alternative as federal downsizing continues to affect work loads and operations, If " , I I i I, , I i:: , I' I j, , I, P ~ {' ~ 1\ t fl ~ ~ , ~ ,~ , ~~ ff L i The justification for this strategy can be found in two successful and different programs which are responsive to different community needs: the Flash Flood Prediction Program (F2P2) of the Urban Drainage & Flood Control District of Denver, Colorado and the Meteorological Services Pilot Program (MSPP) of the Flood Control District of Maricopa County, Arizona. Both programs are diverse in their community applications but are similar in their focus on providing pro- active community response to flash flooding and river flooding, Both programs are based on the successful implementation of the outlined strategy and the cooperation of local government, federal government and the private sector. Examples of how this strategy can be applied to a variety of situations in California, Texas and Ohio, for example, will be made. Examples of how existing mesonets can be used to provide quantitative basin-specific and community specific precipitation forecasts and the pro-active lead-time needed by communities. As simply stated in the past: Divided we fail, United we succeed.