About CARC • Water Availability and Outlook Committee (WAOC) • Risk Assessment Committee • Emergency Response Committee (ERC) • CARC Organizational Chart Nebraska's Climate Assessment and Response Committee (CARC) was established by the Nebraska Legislature in 1991. It is the key drought planning policy and response committee. Its duties, as laid out in L.B. 274, are: 1. To provide timely and systematic data collection, analysis, and dissemination of information about drought and other severe climate occurrences to the Governor and to other interested persons. 2. To provide the Governor and other interested persons with information and advice relevant to requests for federal disaster declarations and to the use of funds and other types of assistance available to the state because of such declarations. 3. To establish criteria for startup and shutdown of various assessment and response activities by state and federal agencies during drought and other climate-related emergencies. 4. To provide an organizational structure that assures information flow and defines the duties and responsibilities of all agencies during times of drought and climate-related emergencies. 5. To maintain a current inventory of state and federal agency responsibilities in assessing and responding to drought and other climate-related emergencies. 6. To provide a mechanism for the improvement of methods of assessing impacts of drought on agriculture and industry. 7. To provide such other coordination and communication among federal and state agencies as is deemed appropriate by such committee. 8. To perform such other climate-related assessment and response functions as are desired by the Governor. Committee membership: Governor's appointments: Policy Research Office Department of Agriculture Department of Natural Resources Health and Human Services System Nebraska Emergency Management Agency Cooperative Extension, UNL Conservation and Survey Division, UNL Nebraska Livestock Producer Nebraska Crop Producer Others as the Governor deems necessary. The following agencies and organizations may have an interest in and/or responsibility to deal with severe climatic situations in Nebraska. These groups may have data and information on hand or have the capability to gather and disseminate information that is crucial to effective and timely climate management situations in Nebraska. Committee Advisors (State): Game and Parks Commission Department of Roads Department of Environmental Quality State Fire Marshal Forest Service Committee Advisors (University of Nebraska): National Drought Mitigation Center High Plains Climate Center Department of Agronomy Committee Advisors (Federal): US Department of Agriculture, Farm Services Agency US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Department Agriculture, Risk Management Agency Other Advisors: Nebraska Association of Resources Districts Nebraska League of Municipalities • Back to the top of the page Water Availability and Outlook Committee (WAOC) WAOC meets at least three times a year: spring, summer, and fall, but may meet more frequently as needed during drought or other extreme climate conditions. Purpose: To monitor current and estimate likely future water availability and moisture conditions. Variables to be monitored include precipitation, temperature, soil moisture, streamflow, ground water levels, reservoir levels, snow pack, and vegetation conditions. Tasks: To define drought and other climate-related events and, in cooperation with the Impact Assessment Committee, develop appropriate triggers for activating mitigation and response programs/actions. To identify, in cooperation with the Impact Assessment Committee, drought management areas or vulnerability regions, based on the nature of the drought hazard and potential impacts. To inventory current observation networks and make recommendations to CARC on the adequacy of these networks for monitoring drought and other extreme climatic events. To develop a comprehensive monitoring system for timely assessment of drought and other climate-related events. To determine the primary users of climate-related information and their data/information needs and develop appropriate and timely information products. To identify existing data and information delivery/dissemination systems and augment, as appropriate, to provide timely and reliable information to users. To advise CARC on drought/climate conditions in a timely manner. Committee Members University State Climatology Office, UNL National Drought Mitigation Center, UNL Conservation and Survey Division, UNL Cooperative Extension, UNL State Department of Natural Resources Federal U.S. Geological Survey National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service NRCS, USDA Bureau of Reclamation, DOI • Back to the top of the page Risk Assessment Committee The Risk Assessment Committee held its first meeting September 22, 1998, as part of the revision and update to Nebraska's drought plan. Purpose: To assess the vulnerability to and likely impacts of extreme climatic events, particularly drought, on Nebraska's primary economic, environmental and social sectors. Tasks: In advance of drought and other climatic events, To conduct a risk analysis of the vulnerability associated with extended periods of water shortage/surplus on Nebraska's primary economic, environmental, and social sectors. To identify mitigation and response actions/programs to reduce the impacts of drought and other climate-related events. To make recommendations to CARC on the development and implementation of appropriate mitigation programs to reduce the impacts of drought. During drought and other extreme climatic events, To review and evaluate the climate/water situation reports produce by the WAOC and estimate the probable impacts associated with periods of water shortage/surplus on the state's primary economic, environmental and social sectors. To produce impact assessment reports for use by the CARC. To develop and recommend the implementation of mitigation measures and responses to CARC to reduce the impacts of extreme climate-related events. Committee Members RAC has two subcommittees to help address the above objectives: Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Wildlife Subcommittee Municipal Water Supply, Health, and Energy Subcommittee The membership of RAC is comprised of the co-chairs of the above subcommittees, a member of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and a member of the National Drought Mitigation staff. In the past volunteer subcommittee membership has included, but is not limited to, the following: Agriculture, Natural Resources and Wildlife Subcommittee NE Department of Natural Resources NE Game and Parks Commission NE Department of Roads NE Department of Agriculture Nebraska Agricultural Statistics Service UNL Cooperative Extension National Drought Mitigation Center Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation Nebraska Cattlemen InterChurch Ministries of Nebraska Natural Resources Conservation Service USDA Farm Service Agency United States Bureau of Reclamation Municipal Water Supply, Health, and Energy Subcommittee NE Health and Human Services - Regulation and Licensure NE Department of Agriculture NE Emergency Management Agency National Drought Mitigation Center UNL Conservation and Survey Division UNL Cooperative Extension UNL Water Center Omaha Public Power District Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District Metropolitan Utilities District Utilicorp Nebraska Public Power District Lincoln Water System KN Energy League of Nebraska Municipalities Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation Nebraska Association of Resources Districts The Groundwater Foundation Nebraska Well Drillers Association Nebraska WIFE American Red Cross United States Geological Survey • Back to the top of the page Emergency Response Committee (ERC) The Emergency Response Committee originally was considered a formal arm of CARC, charged with the responsibility for collection and dissemination of information essential for timely recommendations of any and all appropriate action that should be taken by the Governor's office regarding commercial and residential damage sustained because of floods, tornadoes, and other weather-related disasters. The committee's role was revised in June 2000 in response to existing drought conditions and further study of Nebraska state law. By statute, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is charged with responding to emergency situations, such as drought or floods, at the direction of the Governor. To avoid any overlap of duties, the ERC's role was folded into the NEMA organization, with the understanding that communication between CARC and NEMA will be important in times of weather emergency. As an example of this cooperation, early in 2000 CARC began supplying Governor Mike Johanns with regular weather and agriculture information relative to the dry weather pattern. In June, based in part on the reports from CARC, the Governor declared a state of emergency due to the existing conditions and created a Drought Management Team, headed by NEMA. That group met regularly throughout the summer and fall to advise the Governor. CARC had representation on the Team. • Back to the top of the page For more information, please contact the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at (402) 471-2341 and ask for the Climate Assessment and Response Committee Coordinator. What's New | About CARC | Committee Reports | Drought Planning NE Climate Watch | State Drought Plan | Home Nebraska's Security, Privacy and Accessibility Policy