SERCH LIGHTS Alerts Help Land Managers Prepare for Drought
Scientists and staff from the Eastern Threat Center and the USDA Southeast Regional Climate Hub (SERCH) launched SERCH LIGHTS (Lately-Identified Geospecific Heightened Threat System), an email alert service that notifies users when the drought condition for their location is predicted to change. SERCH LIGHTS alerts are based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center’s Monthly Drought Outlook and provide interesting, useful information specific to the subscriber’s location and sector(s) on a monthly basis. Alerts are targeted towards extension professionals and consultants, who can then use this information in combination with local knowledge to prescribe best management practices to managers of forests and farm lands. The SERCH LIGHTS drought alert is a prototype; next, researchers will expand SERCH LIGHTS notifications on additional climate issues, such as extreme precipitation and heat stress, and resource subject matter, such as forest type or crop. Users can subscribe at http://serch.us/lights/subscribe.
Right: Plants wilt during a drought in North Carolina. When drought conditions in a user’s local area are predicted to change, SERCH LIGHTS delivers an alert with forecast details, relevant and interesting data visualizations, and links to management tools and resources. Photo by Gerald Holmes, California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, courtesy of Bugwood.org.
Contact: Steve McNulty
