Weather Research Center

TM at Weather Research Center TM

3227 Audley, Houston, Texas 77098 Phone: 713-529-3076 Fax: 713-528-3538 E-mail: wrc@wxresearch.com

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 14, 2001

For Information contact:

J. Lane DuBois-Freeman 713-529-3076

HOUSTON - A two million dollar fund raising campaign has been launched for The Weather Museum at Weather Research Center. Weather Research Center was founded in December 1987 as a non-profit educational and research organization under the direction of Dr. John C. Freeman and Jill F. Hasling (both Certified Consulting Meteorologists). The Center provides educational programs and materials for students, teachers, and the public through tours, talks, weather day camps, seminars, conferences, and internships. In addition, the Center provides professional services (forecasting and reporting) to clients in a diverse array of industries. In order to carry out the Center's educational activities the Center will develop a Weather Museum. The mission of the Museum will be to educate the public on weather safety focusing on the fact that knowledge and understanding about the weather is the best safety precaution. The museum will also be the perfect venue to introduce children of all ages to science and math.

Tame the Tornado Project

After receiving a grant from Houston Endowment, Inc., the Weather Museum at the Weather Research Center engaged The Hall Group, Inc. (THG) to reach three goals:

Create an Advisory Board comprised of eight to sixteen members.

Implement a plan to raise two million dollars.

Target 20 corporate donors and 10 potential alliance members.

Together, the project was completed in thirty days. The plan to raise two million dollars is included in this document. THG research began with targeting 225 community leaders and conducting one-on-one discussions with twenty-nine key potential Advisory Board Members.

We found the seven key opportunities to pursue in reaching the goals. The opportunities are:

Establish events to involve the public.
Form alliances with organizations in the community.
Develop promotions to increase public awareness.
Create educational materials for adults and children.
Use fashion and humor to increase awareness, build loyalty and entertain.
Ensure the foundation for the Museum is solid.
Create or recruit a highly visible spokesperson.

The top priorities chosen to help achieve these objectives are:

Establish events to involve the public.
Form alliances with organizations in the community.
Ensure the foundation for the Museum is solid.

The mission statement of the Advisory Board of the Weather Museum at Weather Research Center is to support and advise The Museum in educating and informing the community, including children, regarding weather phenomena and weather safety and to emphasize the impact of the weather on our personal and professional lives
and our environment.

New Institution for Houston

There is no other museum in the world like The Weather Museum. Weather is something that affects everyone. It can become deadly at a moment’s notice and have disastrous consequences for both life and property.

Through simple appreciation of how the weather works and how the public can ensure their safety, unnecessary catastrophes can be avoided.

Education Saves Lives

In recent decades, tornadoes, floods and hurricanes have killed thousands of people. In addition, scores have been killed or injured when struck by lightening. Many of these people were taking inappropriate shelter during thunderstorms. With the proper safety information, many of these lives would not have been lost or suffered severe trauma.

Heat is another killer that is often underestimated. According to the National Weather Center, the effects of extremely high temperatures cause more deaths in this country than the effects of lightning, floods and tornadoes combined. Temperatures in Houston soared as high as 107 degrees in 2000 resulting in more than thirty tragic and unnecessary deaths.

The Weather Museum and its programs will guide visitors through a hands-on tour of the weather that will equip them with the tools necessary to improve their lives and the lives of those around them.

Science is Fundamental

The Weather Museum will fill a void where information about weather safety should be. It will also educate visitors on a science that is crucial to our every day lives. It will also foster an interest in meteorology for future generations.

Current and Planned Activities

Planned activities include:

Internships: Meteorology students from area colleges currently work as interns in our forecast center. Students (from all areas of the United States) will be introduced to various aspects of meteorology by being exposed to weather forecasting, research and teaching. Many of our past interns and students have gone on to receive a Ph.D. and continue in meteorology.

Weather Camp: In 1993, the Center hosted its first Weather Camp. This popular day camp for students ages five and up was designed to foster an interest in meteorology. This is a very prominent field of science that children are unfortunately not given the time or the resources to develop. The attendees are given the opportunity learn about different weather phenomena, conduct their own experiments to demonstrate these phenomena, obtain the scientific skills necessary for tracking and measuring weather and learn essential tips on weather safety. Our campers get a fantastic introduction to math and science in a fun, interactive and stimulating atmosphere. More than 600 children have attended Weather Camp since its inception.

Teacher Workshops: We are currently developing a series of teacher workshops that have been very well received by Houston area science teachers. They are extremely keen on developing weather classes as a means of introducing children to science. This also contributes to a more diverse pool of scientists for America.

Public Tours: Each year, Weather Research Center is visited by over 3,000 area students, senior citizens and civic groups who tour the Weather Research Center's Forecast Operations Center and the future site of The Weather Museum. The visitors are shown how the weather is observed and forecast. Each tour is unique because it covers all aspects of the weather and crucial weather safety education.

Meteorology Seminars: As well as giving tours, meteorologists from the Center visit schools, civic organizations and corporations to give seminars. The talks cover a wide range of topics from the working activities of a meteorologist to hurricane preparedness.

Conference Participation: Each year, Weather Research Center's meteorologists exhibit at and attend different conferences for teachers, industry, emergency management personnel, and the public. Here the Center disseminates weather safety information. Each year we participate in the Houston Engineering Science Fair by awarding a plaque and membership to the Center for the best weather project

Web Site: Weather Research Center hosts a variety of information on its various web sites. This includes weather safety information and links to up-to-the-minute weather information.

Newsletter: Weather Research Center provides a monthly newsletter to members of The Weather Museum and periodic press releases designed to bring our community up to date on current weather events and the museum’s progress. The Center also publishes an Annual Atlantic Hurricane Summary and provides live, daily weather information and forecasts for National Public Radio through KUHF.

Volunteer Involvement: Because our meteorologists are regularly busy with forecasting (all profits from forecast sales are put into the museum), we rely heavily on our group of dedicated volunteers to help us fund raise, collate weather data for the Weather Library and Data Center, assist in our annual fundraising golf tournament and Weather Camp. We are also often (and very enthusiastically) joined by students from Madison High School (Houston ISD magnet school for meteorology).

Expanded Internship Program for Younger Students: Internships for high school and college students involved in meteorology will also be expanded at the museum. Exhibits will be staffed by qualified meteorologists from Weather Research Center together with intern meteorologists who will benefit their studies through continual practical experience and instruction.

Clients and Visitors

Programs initiated by Weather Research Center and continued by The Weather Museum will serve people of all ages. Weather Camp is now for anyone ages five and up. Tours are for families, school groups, civic groups and senior citizens. There is no other place in the world to tour a worldwide forecast center and have your weather questions answered by a live meteorologist.

Weather Museum Exhibits

Exhibits will feature a wide variety of multi-media, sensory and hands-on experiences.

Exhibits at The Weather Museum at Weather Research Center

Name	Purpose	Description
Worldwide Weather Forecast Operations Center	A state-of the art worldwide forecast operations center with a command center showing the weather depicted worldwide. Visitors will be able to see real-time action of meteorologists performing their daily duties.	Weather Command Center equipped with interactive computers showing satellite, radar and model depictions continuously. Staffed by intern meteorology students and center meteorologists.
Weather Wizards Corner	A mobile facility where meteorologists will demonstrate how different weather phenomenon form, are measured and tracked	Equipped with materials necessary for a multitude of practical and interactive experiments. Staffed by intern meteorology students and center meteorologists.
Hurricane in the Round	Demonstrate the structure and dangers of hurricanes.	Round room simulating the eye of a hurricane. A strong simulated wind will be blown at them in all directions as they enter and leave. Once inside, there will be a slide presentation of hurricanes from birth to dissipation.
Touch a Tornado!	Demonstrate How a Vortex forms.	Water vapor tornado. This will be a 6' tall display, which will generate a water vapor tornado.
Lights-Sounds-Action: Lightning, Thunder, Wind and Hail	Teach Thunderstorm Safety.	Display on thunderstorms and severe weather safety. A wall in the museum will be dedicated to lightning, demonstrating the attraction of lightning to a person’s body. Interactive computers will show the destructive power of thunderstorms, how they grow and mature.
Dirty Air	Air pollution and what can be done about it.	Interactive computer outlining different types of air pollution and what can be done to eradicate them.
Name	Purpose	Description
Rain, Rain, Go Away!	Flash floods and Flood Safety.	A large table about the size of a pool table with a 12" depth. Inside will be a bladder whose shape can be modified by the visitor. Different types of terrain will be created on the surface of the bladder. Once the visitor is satisfied with the terrain, simulated rain will be allowed to run over it to show where flash flooding will occur. Includes interactive computer display giving the visitors information on how to survive a flash flood as well as a history of significant flash floods in the past.
WEATHER WORKS! Atmosphere: Cloud, Temperature, Wind	How the Atmosphere is Structured and How it Works.	The science of meteorology and how the weather is measured – virtual reality taking visitor on a molecular trip through the air.
It's a Scorcher!	Teaching Heat Safety: Surviving a Drought	Demonstrate the danger of extreme heat and drought conditions. Appreciation of Heat Index through interactive hand display.
It's Cold Outside!	Teaching winter storm safety.	Demonstrate the danger of winter storms, blizzards and ice storms. Appreciation of Wind Chill through interactive hand display.
Be your own Weather Forecaster	Demonstrate how weather forecasts are made and shown on television.	Television/radio studio equipped with a blue screen and camera to record personal weather forecasts. Visitors will be able to take home a copy of their video.

Name	Purpose	Description
What do Meteorologists Do?	Learn what types of careers are available in meteorology and which colleges and universities offer specialist programs.	An interactive computer model and video, which describes the different careers in meteorology.
Weather Forecasting throughout History	View actual historical weather equipment used throughout the years.	This display will include Teletype machines, antique barometers, thermographs, anemometers, thermometers and historical documents.
Computer/Classroom	Introduce visitors to the weather on the Internet.	Set of 12 computers connected to the Internet to give the visitor the ability to surf for current and past weather information.

The plan has been implemented an the financial plan has been donated by Barry Smotherman of Tatum CFO Partners, LLP. Several people of volunteered to fund three positions at center a Development Director, Alliance Coordinator, and Liaison Coordinator between the Advisory Board and Weather Research Center’s Board. Many alliances are in the works so the Project is well underway.

If you or your company would like to get involved in this project contact Weather Research Center at weathermuseum@houston.rr.com. For more information go to www.weathermuseum.org.

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