FEMA IS 271.A: Anticipating Hazardous Weather & Community Risk, 2nd Edition Answers

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About FEMA IS 271.A

FEMA IS 271.A: Anticipating Hazardous Weather & Community Risk, 2nd Edition has 48 questions. These Questions are given below. Learning is free and so is this page. We recommend studying well and practicing and check the answers in case you get stuck in a doubt.

NOTE: Don’t use this as CheatSheet but as self-preparatory notes

1. You read in the forecast for today that strong westerly winds are expecte

This means that the winds will blow from the west toward the east.

True

False

2. A Tornado Watch has been issued for your county through 11 p.m. this evening. Which of the following is the best source to make sure you have the earliest possible information about any Tornado Warnings issued for your area?

Local Weather Forecast Office

Your citizen network

Local broadcast media

Storm Prediction Center

3. True or False: A Tornado Watch has been issued for your county for the next three hours. One of the actions to take is to follow your Emergency Operations Plan’s guidance on when it might be time to activate spotter groups.

True

False

4. Your threats analysis should include analyzing the vulnerabilities of power generation, water, and sewage treatment facilities.

True

False

5. A Watch means that:

A hazardous weather event is imminent or occurring

There is an increased risk of hazardous weather

Citizens should look for and take shelter immediately

A severe weather event has occurred in a nearby county

6. An example of an indirect weather observation system is:

Buoys

Radar

ASOS

Radiosondes

7. Which of the following is included in a National Weather Service Area Forecast Discussion product?

10-14 day forecast

Temperature probability graphics

Forecaster reasoning

Radar imagery

8. In two days your community is hosting the State baseball championship and expecting record crowds. The Day 2 Convective Outlook indicates your area could have severe weather on game day. As an emergency manager, you should:

Continue to monitor the forecast products and coordinate with the Weather Forecast Office

Discuss the situation with event organizers and suggest they review their safety plans for severe weather

Inform public safety agencies in your community about the severe weather potential

All of the above

9. A train has derailed in your community, resulting in a hazardous materials release. Resources available to you from the National Weather Service include all EXCEPT:

Customized wind forecasts to help determine areas that might be impacted

Anticipated health impacts of the hazardous substances

Incident meteorologists who can monitor conditions and provide ‘spot’ forecasts

Dispersion modeling to determine how the materials will be transported

10. Forecasting precipitation type (rain, snow, sleet, ice) is difficult because:

it requires knowing the type and location of cloud nuclei in the atmosphere

it requires knowing the depth of the moist and dry layers in the atmosphere

the lifting process determines the precipitation type that is possible

it requires knowing the depth of the melting and freezing layers in the atmosphere

11. Who issues Tornado Watches?

Convective Weather Prediction Center

Private sector weather providers

Hydrometeorological Prediction Center

Storm Prediction Center

12. When a life-threatening weather situation is occurring or is imminent, who has the

responsibility to activate the local warning sirens within a jurisdiction?

The National Weather Service

The local governmental jurisdiction

State emergency management officials

An elected member of city council

13. What should the word ‘convection’ in a forecast discussion alert you to as an emergency manager?

Upward-moving air with the potential for storms to form

An inversion in which air moves upward very rapidly

A cold, sinking air mass causing potential heavy precipitation

Several days of overcast skies and continual rain or snowfall

14. Tornadoes are small, short-lived storms formed on the:

synoptic scale

mesoscale

15. You have just arrived at the office this morning. What is the best source for quickly determining the potential for severe thunderstorms today?

Check the local Weather Forecast Office hourly storm summary

Consult a farmer’s almanac for today’s forecast

Check the Convective Day 1 Outlook

Check in with your Warning Coordination Meteorologist

16. You are the emergency manager in Applegate, a community located alongside a stream called Big Creek. Six miles to your northeast, near the headwaters of the creek, is a community called Bunker Hill. Your local weather forecast office has just issued this Special Weather Statement:

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR HAS INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF BUNKER HILL…MOVING SOUTH AT 5 MPH. Should you anticipate any potential hazards from this storm?

Yes; the slow-moving storm could cause flooding along Big Creek, including in creekside areas of Applegate

Yes; the storm is headed directly to Applegate and significant hail damage should be expected

No; penny size hail does not qualify the storm as ‘severe’ so effects are expected to be minimal in Applegate

No; based on the direction of travel this round of storminess will not affect my area

17. True or False. NOAA Weather Radio with SAME technology is programmable to sound alerts for hazards in your specific area, can be heard almost everywhere in the country, and can be relied on even if there is a power outage at your home or business.

True

False

18. Good warning messages for the public should:

Avoid mentioning possible consequences that may cause people to panic

Explain the possible consequences if the instructions are not followed

19. Uncertainties in forecasts are primarily due to which of the following?

Meteorologists are not paying close enough attention to the evolving weather situation

The overnight model forecasts are poor so meteorologists must use their own best judgment

Atmospheric processes are very complex, posing difficulties for both models and forecasters

The large number of observations input to the models means that guidance might be delayed

20. Severe weather season is around the corner. You would like to begin some public awareness efforts, as well as make sure your spotters are trained and organize

Who in the National Weather Service should you call to work with you on these activities?

Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM)

No one; both of these tasks are your responsibilities

Science and Operations Officer (SOO)

Lead Duty Forecaster

21. Who is authorized to initiate official watches and warnings?

The National Weather Service

Registered private weather information vendor

Certified broadcast meteorologist using Doppler radar

All of the above

22. Your Warning Partnership includes your local National Weather Service Forecast Office, you, and all of the following EXCEPT:

The media

Weather spotters

Police and emergency responders

Emergency Management Institute (EMI)

23. Your local Weather Forecast Office has just issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the western part of the county to your north. The system is moving to the southeast. What should you do?

No action is required; the storm is not in my county

Monitor the storm’s movement and prepare accordingly

Dispatch spotter groups to the adjacent county

Monitor stream gauges for increased runoff from storms upstream

24. Advisories are issued:

For situations with high potential for flooding

When the threat or hazard is expected to impact a sparsely populated area

For threats that are likely to occur a few hours or more in the future

For threats that are dangerous but that might not be life-threatening

25. True or False: Geography is not a factor in assessing community risk.

True

False

26. Which is a method that local Emergency Operations Centers can implement to improve coordination with partners prior to a hazardous event?

Hold topic-focused conference calls and webinars

Conduct drills to practice coordination and test response

Develop hazards plans for any threats to your community

All of the above

27. After a winter of above-average snowfall, temperatures in your area have been moderate and rainfall has been near average. On April

10, you find this phrase in the Hazardous Weather Outlook from your local forecast office:

UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. THESE FEATURES WILL INTERACT WITH A MOIST AIRMASS TO GENERATE NUMEROUS SHOWERS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. What is the most likely hazard that you should be alert to?

Tornadic winds

Potential flooding

Lightning-generated fires

Severe storms with hail

28. If a community has warning sirens, other communication methods will not be necessary.

True

False

29. It is July 16 and the Area Forecast Discussion you are reading mentions that instability is high. Starting this morning and through the afternoon, your community is hosting a large art festival in an open park along the river. Which of the following represents an immediate action to take as you prepare for the day?

Have organizers order extra tents for protection from wind and rain

Evacuate people from the park vicinity

Alert festival organizers to the potential for thunderstorms later today

Let organizers know they should reschedule the event for a different week

30. The Zone Forecast mentions: “CHANCE OF RAIN 60 PERCENT.” The correct way to interpret the forecast is:

Sixty percent of the forecast area will receive rain and 40% will be dry

Sixty percent of the towns and cities in the zone will receive rain

Rain is likely to fall for 60% (or 14 hours) of a 24-hour period

A given point in the forecast area has a 60% chance of receiving rain

31. Suppose you are the emergency manager for the small community of Lake Isabella, California Yesterday was the third consecutive day of near record high temperatures and today’s Area Forecast Discussion contains this phrase: CONTINUED WARM TEMPERATURES AND VERY LOW HUMIDITY TODAY AND WEDNESDAY WITH POOR TO NO OVERNIGHT RECOVERY OF HUMIDITY. NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL LIKELY BE GUSTING OVER 35 MPH… What is the primary hazard you should be aware of for your community?

Damaging winds causing power outages

Onset of a drought period

Development of convective storms

Increased wildland fire danger

32. Long-range forecast products tend to be as accurate as short-range ones.

True

False

33. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for your metropolitan are

Snow accumulation is expected to begin between 3 and 4 p.m. and continue through the evening. What action do you take?

No action is required; an Advisory does not indicate a severe event

Put the Emergency Operations Center on full alert to deal with traffic accidents and delays

Refer to your Hazards Plan for snow events impacting rush hour in your area

Immediately scramble snow removal equipment to clear roads for the evening commute

34. The components that determine the difference between an inconvenient weather situation and one that is hazardous are:

Event type

Event severity

Community vulnerability

All of the above

35. During a rain event, you observe heavy, wind-driven rain for 30 minutes. The dispatch center has received calls about small stream flooding on the southern edge of your community. You report this flooding to the Weather Forecast Office. They will use the information to:

input data into weather prediction models.

deploy an Incident Meteorologist to verify conditions.

map the areas that should be evacuated.

refine their forecast to alert others in the storm’s path.

36. Which of the following is NOT a consideration for a threats analysis?

Distance to nearest weather forecast office

Locations of special needs populations

Frequency of hazardous weather

Severity of past and anticipated weather events

37. In order from lowest urgency to highest, which sequence properly ranks the product categories issued by the National Weather Service? Note that not all product categories are issued for all hazard types.

Watch, Advisory, Outlook, Warning

Outlook, Watch, Advisory, Warning

Outlook, Advisory, Watch, Warning

Advisory, Outlook, Watch, Warning

38. Methods for receiving the most recent hazardous weather information and current updates directly from your local Weather Forecast Office (WFO) include all EXCEPT which of the following?

EMWIN or other message broadcast systems

NWSChat, phone calls, phone alerts

NOAA Weather Radio

Local broadcast media

39. The Forecast Discussion says “A WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENT IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST, KEEPING RAIN OVER THE AREA FOR SEVERAL DAYS.” From a preparedness point of view, this phrase suggests that:

You should be ready to respond to downed power lines, etc.

You should stay alert for potential flooding

You should be alert for severe storm development

There is nothing weather-related to concern you

40. Today’s Area Forecast Discussion for your municipality north of Canton contains this phrase:

AN AREA OF ENHANCED LIFT IN THE 850MB-700MB LAYER CONTINUES TO AFFECT LOCATIONS NORTH AND WEST OF A CANTON TO TOLUCA LINE. TO THE SOUTH SKIES WERE PARTLY CLOUDY WITH EARLY AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES RISING INTO THE MID/UPPER 70S. As an emergency manager, what might you be concerned about based on the word ‘lift’?

Long-duration stratiform rain showers

Convective storms, precipitation, instability

Warmer air aloft with cooler air near the surface

Debris lofted by tornadoes

41. Condensation is a process that can lead to precipitation, flooding, and storm development. Condensation can occur and begin providing the fuel for severe weather when:

the probability of precipitation equals 100%.

the dewpoint temperature equals the air temperature.

the dewpoint temperature is significantly less than the air temperature.

the dewpoint temperature is warmer than the surrounding air temperature.

42. True or False: The latest hurricane intensity forecast indicates a 20% probability for a Category 2 storm, 39% probability for Category 3 storm, and 28% probability for a Category 4 storm tomorrow afternoon as it approaches your are

Guidance for working with probabilities would suggest that you anticipate the worst-case scenario by preparing for a Category 5 event.

True

False

43. Today’s Hazardous Weather Outlook refers to an inversion that is likely to break after 10:00 am. What conditions might you expect while the inversion persists?

Skies will be cloud-free increasing visibilities

Strong thunderstorms could result

Any particulate matter near the surface will quickly disperse

Fog could be present in low-lying areas

44. You are working on a threats analysis for your community. Which of the following would be considered a variable environmental factor?

soil saturation

Locations of dams

Soil type

Locations of mountains or hills

45. It has been an above-average snowy winter in your riverside agricultural community in the upper Midwest. On a cloudy day in early spring, you find this phrase in the Area Forecast Discussion:

RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS. SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITH TEMPERATURES REMAINING IN THE LOWER 30S. TEMPERATURES WILL RECOVER RAPIDLY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS…INTO THE 50S BY SATURDAY.What weather hazard might you need to prepare for in your community?

Severe thunderstorms associated with warmer temperatures’

Late-season winter storms

Continued dramatic temperature changes

Flooding due to ice jams

46. What factors should you account for when doing a threats analysis for your community?

What weather events are likely and at what time of year

Percentage of population and property likely to be affected

Expected impacts of the hazard on critical infrastructure

All of the above

47. The forecast product you read on August 30 mentions that a cold front with instability along frontal boundary will be moving through your locality in northern Iow The weather event you are likely to be most concerned about during this frontal passage is:

A severe thunderstorm with possible hail

Early season snowfall accumulating on tree limb

Steady precipitation and potential flooding

A freeze affecting vulnerable plants and agriculture

48. As an emergency manager, what are your four primary roles in planning for and acting during periods of hazardous weather?

Detect, Forecast, Alleviate, Recover

Prepare, Act, Recover, Respond

Mitigate, Prepare, Respond, Recover

Prepare, Defend, Recover, Respond

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