New York state has partnered with the University at Albany to launch the first-of-its-kind State Weather Risk Communication Center (SWRCC) to improve the state’s preparation and response to extreme weather.

New York sees the widest range of weather in the country — from hurricanes to lake effect snowstorms. Public entities across the state currently rely on the National Weather Service or contract with out-of-state vendors to provide weather data during emergencies. The products offered by these third-party vendors are costly and often not coordinated or widely shared across state government. While the National Weather Service continues to provide best-in-class forecasting, providing state entities with locally tailored, real-time, actionable emergency management guidance can sometimes fall outside its federal mandate.

This is where the State Weather Risk Communication Center comes in. It elaborates on the high-quality forecasts of the National Weather Service with additional data about critical infrastructure and UAlbany’s deep expertise on the intersection of weather prediction and emergency response.

The creation of this center has even sparked national interest, with Al Roker from NBC’s “Today” coming for a tour.

Learn about some of the goals the center wants to fulfill by watching the video of Reid Kisselback’s story.