Workshop Report: Caribbean TAOS/L User Meeting

The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, St. James, Barbados
July 28-29, 1999

Note: this workshop was organized by CIMH and funded by the CDMP. This report was prepared by CIMH.

The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) and the Caribbean Disaster Mitigation Project (CDMP) conducted a training workshop for users of the TAOS/L model and its outputs at CIMH, July 28-29, 1999. The workshop was opened and closed with brief remarks by the Principal of the Institute, Dr. Colin Depradine.

The participants were drawn from the countries currently using the model - Belize, Jamaica and Mexico. A list of the participants is attached.

The objective of the workshop was to familiarise participants with the uses, applications, products and limitations of the TAOS/L model. Emphasis was placed on understanding of and experience with (1) running the model for real-time events, (2) running Maximum Envelopes of Water (MEOWs) and (3) the creation of maps and products from these runs. Also examined were the use and limitations of these products in emergency management and in planning.

The programme was designed on the basis of the above objectives and followed the formats used in previous training of this nature conducted by CIMH and CDMP. The emphasis, however, was on procedures for running the model and on the practical use and applications of the products. The various components of the model were demonstrated and participants were given the opportunity to obtain hands-on experience during the practical exercises. These included the extraction, editing and running of historical storms; entering and running real-time storms; determining criteria for setting up and running a MEOW. Resource persons were Horace Burton and Selvin Burton of CIMH and Ross Wagenseil, a CDMP consultant. A copy of the programme is attached.

In the wrap-up discussions the participants expressed satisfaction with the workshop, indicating that the information presented was useful and informative. Those participants without prior knowledge of the inputs and components of the TAOS model noted that they now understood the basis of the output and, hence, were in a better position to interpret and apply the results in their various areas of interest. The participants with prior knowledge of the model expressed satisfaction with the new components and the improvements, in particular the use of the model to compute maximum envelopes.

A number of topics related to the continued use and improvement of the TAOS/L model were discussed and the following proposals/agreements made:

• A support user group should be established to facilitate the sharing of experiences, to exchange information on problems and any solutions, and to stimulate improvements to the model.
• It was agreed that where the information is available, efforts should be made to improve and update the base topographic and bathymetric data currently used in the model. Improved data would be shared with CDMP and Charles Watson.
• The group gave its support to the work being done on the statistical estimation of return periods and indicated that all efforts should be made to complete this work as soon as possible.
• The group agreed that work should continue with the model after the completion of the current CDMP project and gave its support to continued training by CIMH, noting that the individual countries would provide the necessary funding when training was required.
• The representative from NRCA, Jamaica, pointed out that his agency no longer had a copy of the model. The representatives from Jamaica all agreed that the new version of the model should be acquired and the representative of the Meteorological Service agreed to initiate the process by requesting a copy the model from the OAS. The participants from Jamaica agreed that the model would be based at the meteorological office and that the various agencies would collaborate in use of the model.
• The participants, most of whom had visited the CDMP website prior to the workshop, all agreed that the site was useful and asked that copies of all relevant published articles on the TAOS model be placed on the site.
• It was agreed, in principal, that CIMH, Jamaica and Belize would act as back-up sites for each other in case difficulties arose which prevented any one of them from carrying out real-time runs during an actual event.

List Of Participants

Fernando Soto Angli, Campeche Emergency Operations Centre, Mexico

Jamal Banton, Engineer, Smith Warner International Ltd., Jamaica

Dennis Gonguez, Meteorologist, Belize Meteorological Service, Belize

Maurice Jones, Consulting Engineer, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, Jamaica

Ernest Lovell, Technical Assistant, Caribbean Meteorological Institute, Barbados

Anthony Murray, EDP Manager, Natural Resources Conservation Authority, Jamaica

Hugo Raul Villa Obregon, Campeche Emergency Operations Centre, Mexico

Derrick Rudon, Forecaster, Belize Meteorological Service, Belize

Jeffrey E. Spooner, Meteorologist, Jamaica Meteorological Service, Jamaica

Philip Warner, Engineer, Smith Warner International Ltd., Jamaica

Sponsored by the

The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Husbands, St. James, Barbados

July 28-29, 1999

Wednesday July 28^th, 1999

9:00 Introduction

9:15 Overview of The Arbiter Of Storms (TAOS) Storm Hazard Model System

10:00 Installation and TAOS Menu Overview

10:30 Break

10:50 Model Operations

• Map functions
• Historical storms - extracting and editing
• Hydrograph locations - entry and editing
• Run Options

12:15 Lunch

13:45 Exercise – Select and edit a historical storm

14:15 Model Operations (continued)

• Manual entry and updating of storm track data

15:15 Break

15:30 Historical storm results and discussion

16:30 Exercise – Creation of a new storm track

17:00 End for the Day

Thursday July 29^th, 1999

9:00 MEOWs – description, procedures, setup and run

10:30 Break

10:50 Data Upgrades for TAOS - Ross Wagenseil

12:00 Lunch

13:30 Viewing and discussion of out put from MEOWs

14:30 Break

14:45 Advanced operations – script editing etc.

15:15 Discussion and wrap up

16:00 Adjourn