National Weather Center
| National Weather Center | |
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The National Weather Center building in 2006
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 The National Weather Center's location in Oklahoma
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Address | 120 David L. Boren Boulevard |
| Town or city | Norman, Oklahoma |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 35°10′53″N 97°26′25″W / 35.18139°N 97.44028°WCoordinates: 35°10′53″N 97°26′25″W / 35.18139°N 97.44028°W |
| Current tenants |
NOAA University of Oklahoma State of Oklahoma and others |
| Groundbreaking | November 2002 |
| Construction started | August 2003 |
| Opened | Summer 2006 |
| Cost | US$69 million |
| Client |
NOAA University of Oklahoma |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 5 |
| Floor area | 250,000 sq ft (23,000 m2) |
| Lifts/elevators | 3 |
| Grounds | 22 acres |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Beck – LAN/Daly |
| Main contractor | Oscar J. Boldt Company |
| Website | |
| nwc |
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| References | |
The National Weather Center (NWC), located on the campus of the University of Oklahoma, is a confederation of federal, state, and academic organizations that work together in partnership to improve understanding of events occurring in Earth's atmosphere over a wide range of time and space scales. The NWC partners give equal attention to applying that understanding to the development of improved observation, analysis, assimilation, display, and prediction systems. The National Weather Center also has expertise in local and regional climate, numerical modeling, hydrology, and weather radar. Members of the NWC work with a wide range of federal, state, and local government agencies to help reduce loss of life and property to hazardous weather, ensure wise use of water resources, and enhance agricultural production. They also work with private sector partners to develop new applications of weather and regional climate information that provide competitive advantage in the marketplace.
The National Weather Center building houses many organizations from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Oklahoma, as well as several other organizations outside either NOAA or OU.
On the afternoon of April 23, 2015, a car rammed through the gates protecting the loading dock on the east side of the building and drove toward the building, then burst into flames approximately halfway between the gates and the building. Firefighters and a bomb squad were called to the scene. Responders extinguished the fire with no damage done to the building, and the body of the driver, apparently male, was found inside the car.
The University of Oklahoma Police Department stated that the incident is being investigated as a suicide. The FBI has joined the investigation. The bomb squad did three controlled detonations in the evening following the incident. The intent of the driver, including whether he only meant to hurt himself or others as well, remains unknown.
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Wikipedia