We thoroughly check each answer to a question to provide you with the most correct answers. Found a mistake? Tell us about it through the REPORT button at the bottom of the page. Ctrl+F (Cmd+F) will help you a lot when searching through such a large set of questions.
Anticipating Hazardous Weather and Community Risk, 2nd Edition, is a web-based course offered by the Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education, and Training. It provides background information about weather, natural hazards, and preparedness and covers topics included in FEMA and NWS’s multi-day Hazardous Weather and Flood Preparedness course.
The course covers weather basics, forecasting, threats analysis and planning, fact sheets, warning partnership information, human behavior and community response, and a desktop exercise. The course objectives are to explain the basic processes that cause hazardous weather, list main weather hazards and factors that determine community risk, describe the basic weather forecasting process and its limitations, discuss various techniques for communicating information about weather hazards, identify the appropriate National Weather Service forecast information, analyze various sources of information about hazards, and develop a hazards plan for use in drills and real-life situations.
FEMA IS-271.A: Anticipating Hazardous Weather & Community Risk, 2nd Edition Answers
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| You read in the forecast for today that strong westerly winds are expected. This means that the winds will blow from the west toward the east. | True |
| 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? | Storm Prediction Center |
| 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 |
| Your threats analysis should include analyzing the vulnerabilities of power generation, water, and sewage treatment facilities. | True |
| A Watch means that: | There is an increased risk of hazardous weather |
| An example of an indirect weather observation system is: | Radar |
| Which of the following is included in a National Weather Service Area Forecast Discussion product? | Radar imagery |
| 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: | All of the above |
| 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: | Anticipated health impacts of the hazardous substances |
| Forecasting precipitation type (rain, snow, sleet, ice) is difficult because: | it requires knowing the depth of the melting and freezing layers in the atmosphere |
| Who issues Tornado Watches? | Storm Prediction Center |
| 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 local governmental jurisdiction |
| 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 |
| Tornadoes are small, short-lived storms formed on the: | mesoscale |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Good warning messages for the public should: | Explain the possible consequences if the instructions are not followed |
| Uncertainties in forecasts are primarily due to which of the following? | Atmospheric processes are very complex, posing difficulties for both models and forecasters |
| 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 organized. Who in the National Weather Service should you call to work with you on these activities? | Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) |
| Who is authorized to initiate official watches and warnings? | The National Weather Service |
| Your Warning Partnership includes your local National Weather Service Forecast Office, you, and all of the following EXCEPT: | Emergency Management Institute (EMI) |
| 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? | Monitor the storm’s movement and prepare accordingly |
| Advisories are issued: | For threats that are likely to occur a few hours or more in the future |
| True or False: Geography is not a factor in assessing community risk. | False |
| Which is a method that local Emergency Operations Centers can implement to improve coordination with partners prior to a hazardous event? | All of the above |
| 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? | Potential flooding |
| If a community has warning sirens, other communication methods will not be necessary. | False |
| 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? | Alert festival organizers of the potential for thunderstorms later today |
| The Zone Forecast mentions: “CHANCE OF RAIN 60 PERCENT.” The correct way to interpret the forecast is: | A given point in the forecast area has a 60% chance of receiving rain |
| 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? | Increased wildland fire danger |
| Long-range forecast products tend to be as accurate as short-range ones. | False |
| A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for your metropolitan area. Snow accumulation is expected to begin between 3 and 4 p.m. and continue through the evening. What action do you take? | Refer to your Hazards Plan for snow events impacting rush hour in your area |
| The components that determine the difference between an inconvenient weather situation and one that is hazardous are: | All of the above |
| 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: | refine their forecast to alert others in the storm’s path. |
| Which of the following is NOT a consideration for a threats analysis? | Distance to nearest weather forecast office |
| 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. | Outlook, Watch, Advisory, Warning |
| 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? | Local broadcast media |
| 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 stay alert for potential flooding |
| 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’? | Convective storms, precipitation, instability |
| 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 dewpoint temperature equals the air temperature. |
| True or False: The latest hurricane intensity forecast indicates a 20% probability for a Category 2 storm, 39% probability for a Category 3 storm, and 28% probability for a Category 4 storm tomorrow afternoon as it approaches your area. Guidance for working with probabilities would suggest that you anticipate the worst-case scenario by preparing for a Category 5 event. | False |
| 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? | Fog could be present in low-lying areas |
| You are working on a threat analysis for your community. Which of the following would be considered a variable environmental factor? | soil saturation |
| 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 OF DAYS…INTO THE 50S BY SATURDAY. What weather hazard might you need to prepare for in your community? | Flooding due to ice jams |
| What factors should you account for when doing a threat analysis for your community? | All of the above |
| The forecast product you read on August 30 mentions that a cold front with instability along the frontal boundary will be moving through your locality in northern Iowa. The weather event you are likely to be most concerned about during this frontal passage is: | Steady precipitation and potential flooding |
| As an emergency manager, what are your four primary roles in planning for and acting during periods of hazardous weather? | Mitigate, Prepare, Respond, Recover |
Sources
Was this helpful?
Let us know if this was helpful. That’s the only way we can improve.
