Implementation of an Impact-based Forecast System in Barbados

An operational Impact-based Forecast System (IBFS) has been established in Barbados through a series of implementation workshops, training sessions, and decision support application development.  UCAR/COMET collaborated with local partners and stakeholders including the Barbados Meteorological Service (BMS), Barbados Department of Emergency Management, (DEM), and the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) to develop the IBFS.  The project has been implemented in phases over a two-year period.  The phases include identifying the hazards, impacts, risks through stakeholder workshops; developing new standard operating procedures; adapting software tools to include the IBFS framework; training of stakeholders; testing and evaluation of system using case studies; and development of documentation for public outreach.  The system is expected to be operational in June 2020.  The presentation will provide an overview of the Barbados IBFS and lessons learned during the project.