PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 1118 AM EST WED JAN 16 2013 ...PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT... TO... SUBSCRIBERS... EMEREGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...NEWS MEDIA AND OTHERS USERS SUBJECT... RIVER FORECAST SERVICES IN VERMILION AND MILAN OHIO WILL BE MODIFIED EFFECTIVE FEBREUARY 1, 2013 EFFECTIVE FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1...2013 THE FOLLOWING CHANGES WILL TAKE EFFECT ON THE LOCAL OFFICIAL RIVER FORECAST POINTS: THE MAJOR FLOOD STAGE ON THE HURON RIVER MILAN /MILO1/ WILL BE RAISED FROM 21.0 TO 22.5 FEET. THE MINOR FLOOD STAGE ON THE VERMILION RIVER AT VERMILION /VERO1/ WILL BE LOWERED FROM THE CURRENT STAGE OF 10.0 FEET TO A STAGE OF 9.0 FEET. IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TO PERIODICALLY UPDATE FLOOD STAGES AT RIVER FORECAST POINTS AS CHANGES...BOTH NATURAL AND MANMADE...OCCUR OVER A WATERSHED. THESE UPDATES ARE NEEDED TO ENSURE THE BEST QUALITY RIVER FORECASTS AND RESULTING WARNINGS TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES. THE NWS...U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS)...OHIO RIVER FORECAST CENTER (OHRFC)...AND LOCAL AND COUNTY OFFICIALS HAVE SUPPORTED THE ABOVE CHANGES. THE DATA AND FORECASTS FOR THESE AND OTHER POINTS CAN BE FOUND AT: WATER.NOAA.GOV SELECT /RIVER AND LAKES/ UNDER CURRENT CONDITIONS. THE ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE PAGE PROVIDES CURRENT AND FORECAST RIVER INFORMATION...WARNINGS...GAGE LOCATIONS...IMPACTS...AND HISTORICAL CREST INFORMATION FOR OVER 20 POINTS IN NORTHERN OHIO AND NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THE DATA FOR THESE SITES ARE PROVIDED BY OUR PARTNER...THE USGS. WITHOUT THIS CRITICAL DATA...FORECASTS AND WARNINGS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE PROVIDED AT THESE LOCATIONS. THE USGS WEB SITE IS: HTTP://OH.WATER.USGS.GOV FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THIS CHANGE...PLEASE CONTACT: SARAH JAMISON SENIOR SERVICE HYDROLOGIST NWS CLEVELAND OHIO SARAH.JAMISON@NOAA.GOV OR GARY GARNET WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST NWS CLEVELAND OHIO GARY.GARNET@NOAA.GOV