Hurricane Gilbert Sept 3-16 1988 - NOAA

*** Recommendation 4.5 *** Finding 4.8 (Numbering of HLSs)
The NHC should include more information
on tornadoes. This is especially true when
the main effects of the storm miss the
United States, as in Gilbert's case, and
other effects, such as tornadoes, take on
more importance.
*** Finding 4.6 (Content of HLSs)
There was a tendency by some WSOs to
repeat too much of the information in NHC
Advisories in their HLSs.
*** Recommendation 4.6
WSOs should ensure that they include only
enough information from NHC Advisories
to make their HLSs clear.
*** Finding 4.7 (Demand for information in
Spanish)
Because of the large Hispanic population of
southern Texas, there was a demand for
Spanish-speaking NWS employees to
answer phones, make broadcasts, and give
interviews. Along these lines, WSO Houston
has developed an outstanding outreach
program to encourage hurricane awareness
among the Hispanic community in the
greater Houston area. Also, advisories and
other information were translated into
Spanish on request by WSFO San Antonio
and WSO Brownmille. The two offices also
gave radio and television interviews, and
answered phones in Spanish. A TV station
in Harlingen also broadcast hurricane information
in Spanish.
*** Recommendation 4.7
The N WS should continue developing a
preparedness program to increase service
to the Hispanic population.
The wisdom of numbering HLSs was questioned.
No other product issued by WSFOs
and WSOs is numbered. In the "heat of battle"
it is easy to make a numbering mistake.
Necessary corrections add to workload,
paper load, and product load on NWWS.
*** Recommendation 4.8
The NWS should stop numbering HLSs as
well as NHC advisories.
*** Finding 4.9 (External communications)
The River Forecast Center (RFC) was not
always informed in a timely manner of
water releases by the International Boundary
Water Commission (IBWC).
*** Recommendation 4.9
The NWS should strengthen contacts with
the lBWC in preparedness activities. In
particular, communications facilities should
be checked and plans for coordination
should be reviewed.
*** Finding 4.10 (Outdated river flow information)
The river current rating at San Benito is
outdated.
*** Recommendation 4.10
All ratings on the N o Grande River should
be checked and updated as necessary.
*** Finding 4.11 (Need for more river
gauges)
River obsewations and forecasts for
Brownmille are made below the flooding
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