“The purpose of EMPOWER is to develop next-generation decision-support tools that can be used around extreme weather events.
We want to equip the emergency managers today with the tools and data needed to manage the emergencies of tomorrow.”
- Christopher D. Thorncroft, Principal Investigator
The EMPOWER project aims to:
- Leverage state and federal computing investments,
- Integrate with existing state-of-the-art weather observational infrastructure and data pipelines,
- Align with crisis decision-making principles and protective action repertoires to protect lives and property, and
- Provide modular capabilities for future integration of additional advanced sensor-based weather hazard monitoring networks.
The objective of EMPOWER is the launch of a pioneering, regional pilot program to support federal, state and local emergency response to weather-related disasters for the development and deployment of real-time stakeholder-driven decision support solutions
EMPOWER Impact
- Improved monitoring and detection of impending hazards
- Enhanced situational awareness
- More effectively and equitably protect lives and property during severe weather events
- More systematic and transparent emergency risk assessment and protective action decision support
- Improved survivability of emergency response and other municipal assets
- Strengthened critical infrastructure and community lifeline resilience
- Improved cross professional preparedness for severe weather emergencies
- Collaborative research and capability development with industry and international partners
EMPOWER Collaborators
New York State Mesonet
The NYS Mesonet is the centerpiece of New York’s Early Warning Weather Detection system, a network of 127 weather stations across the state, with at least one site in every county and borough.
xCITE Lab
The ExTreme Collaboration, Innovation, and Technology (xCITE) laboratory is a state-of-the-art software development and scientific visualization facility house within the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center.
State Weather Risk Communication Center
The State Weather Risk Communication Center (SWRCC) is a first-of-its-kind partnership between UAlbany researchers and state emergency managers that leverages the University's expertise in atmospheric sciences to help prepare for and respond to weather.
Atmospheric Sciences Research Center
The Atmospheric Sciences Research Center maintains unparalleled research expertise in a wide range of atmospheric science disciplines across multiple facilities. ASRC is the resource for basic, applied and experimental research in atmospheric sciences.
College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity
The Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security within the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity offers academic programs that provide the knowledge and skills to manage a growing array of natural and human-induced risks in New York State and around the world.
Center for Advanced Red Teaming
The Center for Advanced Red Teaming (CART) is an interdisciplinary Research Center within the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the State University of New York at Albany and is the first academic center devoted to advancing the art and science of Red Teaming.
EMPOWER News
UAlbany Researchers Receive $3 Million to Support Emergency Preparedness and Response to Weather Extremes
The pilot project will serve as a regional testbed to explore the potential of using big data to improve emergency management outcomes.
EMPOWER Project
ETEC
University at Albany
1220 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY 12226
United States