2008 Severe Storm Conference's and Situation Updates

National Hurricane Conference
March 31-April 4
The Rosen Centre Hotel
Orlando, FL

The primary goal of the National Hurricane Conference is to improve hurricane preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation in order to save lives and property in the United States and the tropical islands of the Caribbean and Pacific.

In addition, the conference serves as a national forum for federal, state and local officials to exchange ideas and recommend new policies to improve Emergency Management.

The 2008 National Storm Conference
Saturday, March 8, 2008
The Colleyville Center
Colleyville, Texas

The TESSA National Storm Conference is free and open to the public. Registration is not required, but arrive early, seating is limited to 500.

Directions, Lodging and Suggested Dining for the 2008 Conference
Conference Sponsorship and Vendor Opportunities

ARLINGTON, Texas -The Texas Severe Storms Association (TESSA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) will collaborate again for the National Storm Conference on March 8, 2008 at the Colleyville Center in Colleyville, Texas. Speakers will deliver presentations on severe weather safety, storm spotter training and in-depth discussions on supercell and tornado meteorology.

National Severe Weather Workshop 2008
March 6-8 2008
Norman, Oklahoma

A national forum for academia, emergency management, media, and NOAA to exchange information and techniques for public safety during severe weather.

2008 National Storm Chaser's Convention
The Radisson Southeast
February 15-17 2007
Denver, CO

You just got ot go to this one!


CYCLONE SIDR UPDATE

BANGLADESH - More than 2,000 people are now known to have died after powerful cyclone Sidr ripped through southern and central Bangladesh. The toll was expected to rise. Rescuers are trying to reach hundreds of thousands of survivors but debris and floods are hampering their efforts. Cyclone Sidr destroyed or damaged tens of thousands of homes, brought down power lines and wiped out vital crops. In many areas, 95% of rice which was awaiting harvest has been destroyed, and shrimp farms and other crops simply washed away. A huge relief operation is under way but the true extent of the destruction is only now emerging. "We are expecting that thousands of dead bodies may be found within a few days. We have not been able to collect information about casualties in many remote and impassable places due to the disruption to communications."

This comes only a few months after floods devastated the northern part of the country. The storm triggered 5m (16ft) tidal surges in many of the affected districts. Rivers flowing into the Bay of Bengal were said to be swollen and rising. At least 150 fishing boats in the Bay of Bengal have failed to return to shore. Hundreds of fishermen are feared missing. Authorities have been struggling to get food, medicine, tents and blankets to the affected areas. Cyclone Sidr is

THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE STORM TO HIT THE COUNTRY IN MORE THAN A DECADE.

Bangladesh said Saturday it feared thousands of corpses were littering its southern coast. The army and relief workers were battling to reach the worst-hit districts, where most villages have been flattened. Every one of Jhalokati’s 554 villages has been badly hit. Bangladesh’s vast Sunderbans mangrove forest, home to the endangered Royal Bengal tiger, bore the brunt of the deadly cyclone that smashed into the country, likely killing wildlife. “The winds have twisted the mangrove by flattening thousands of trees."

The strong tidal surge could have killed wildlife. “I am concerned that thousands of deers and some tigers would have been washed into the rivers by the surge and might have died.”

UPDATE: COSCO BUSAN CLEAN UP

SAN FRANCISCO - The most recent information about the clean up is as follows:

Total personnel employed: 1,069
Total gallons discharged: 58,000
Total gallons of oil recovered to date: approximately 16,419
Total gallons evaporated: approximately 4,060
Total birds captured: 1,023
Total dead birds: 1,255
Shoreline cleanup teams: 17
Shoreline assessment teams: 6
Feet of boom laid out: 18,250
Number of contracted aircraft: 1

RS