(March 8, 2012) - National Weather Service Southern Region employees have captured a number of national Isaac M. Cline Awards recognizing their contributions to the agency during 2011.

Local, regional and national Cline Award recipients were chosen in 10 categories including meteorology; hydrometeorology; engineering, electronics or facilities; hydrology; support services; program management and administration; upper air observation; outreach, leadership; and, equal employment opportunity/diversity.

Presented to individuals and teams, the awards identify and recognize employees for operational excellence in the delivery of products and services in support of the National Weather Service mission.

Equal Employment Opportunity/Diversity Management

Shreveport Meteorologist-in-Charge Armando Garza has been recognized for outstanding dedication and leadership of the NWS EEO and Diversity programs.

Meteorology

WFO Mobile Meteorologists Jason Beaman, David Eversole, Donald Faulkner (retired), Stephen Miller, Donald Shepherd and John Werner share the award for developing a robust weather intelligence support plan to assist the Deepwater Horizon initiative.

Hydrometeorology

Lubbock Meteorologists Thomas Lindley and Ronald McQueen were recognized for their efforts in developing research, accurate forecasting, outreach and relationship building to help mitigate impacts from the 2011 west Texas drought and wildfires.

Outreach

Brownsville WCM Barry Goldsmith, Fort Worth Meteorologist Jason Dunn and Corpus Christi WCM John Metz combined forces to work with a range of partners and community leaders in four media markets to develop and distribute two million hurricane guides along the entire Texas Coast.

Upper Air Observations

WFO Shreveport staffers were recognized for leadership, innovation, teamwork, quality assurance and safety in support of the National Weather Service Upper Air Observing Program.

The prestigious Isaac M. Cline Awards are named for the man whose courage and dedication is credited with saving thousands of lives during the Galveston, Texas hurricane of 1900. Cline was in charge of the NWS office in Galveston when the popular coastal city was struck with the deadliest natural disaster in the nation's history.

The death toll exceeded 8,000, but could have been much higher if not for Cline's acute understanding of the weather and his early hurricane warnings in an era when meteorology was in its infancy and ship-to-shore communications - were non-existent.

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