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Weather Satellite Imaging Equipment (Radar)

Situation Assessment

The National Weather Service provides vital weather information to the City of Laredo and other jurisdictions along the Texas Mexico Border. The information being relayed is not as reliable and/or accurate as we would like to see. Rainfall estimates and potential weather threats are hard for Meteorologists to predict because of the lack of weather monitoring equipment (radar) that covers our area. Our area is known to lack radar coverage.

 

Background

Currently the National Weather Service is in dire need to be able to accurately view and predict potential dangerous weather conditions in the South Texas Area. Cities rely on the information provided to make command decisions for the wellbeing of the residents that they serve.

 

The recent July 2010 Flood showed that the National Weather Service had issues in acquiring all the necessary data to determine the potential impact of the heavy rains that came from Hurricane Alex. The information that the City of Laredo was getting was inaccurate; thus, causing concern regarding the validity of the data being given to us.

 

Access to federal funding to purchase and install radar weather monitoring equipment is essential to manage weather threats efficiently and safely and to remain prepared for any number of emergencies that endanger our community.

 

Solution

We ask that support be given to add a fully functional weather radar system that could be used by the National Weather to predict and monitor potentially dangerous weather systems that could negatively affect the residents of our community. Approximate cost is $ 1 million.

 

Target Agencies

Department of Homeland Security National Weather Service

 

Contact

Steve E. Landin
Fire Chief

616 E. Del Mar Blvd.
Laredo, Texas 78045

Phone:  (956) 718-6000

Fax: (956) 728-7148

Email: slandin@ci.laredo.tx.us