National Hurricane Center Storm Surge Program

Hurricane Surge Workshop

February 11-12, 2009

Edward Rappaport, Deputy Director

National Hurricane Center

Mission (Draft): To serve the Nation’s growing need for storm

surge information by providing accurate real-time surge

forecasts during tropical cyclone events, supporting coastal

community preparedness and resiliency through storm surge

vulnerability mapping, and increasing awareness through

outreach and education.

Vision (Draft): To reduce tropical cyclone storm surge-related

loss of life and property by continually improving the quality of

storm surge forecasts, data, and decision support tools, and

by working with an alliance of federal, state, academic, and

local partners to support the development of storm surge

resistant and resilient coastal communities.

National Hurricane Center Storm Surge Unit

NHC Primary Storm Surge Products*:

Maximum Envelope of Water (MEOW),

Real-Time, Post-storm

MEOW: NNW, Cat 3

moving at 10 mph

Real-Time Run:

Advisory 45

Post-storm and

historical runs*SLOSH

Outreach

What’s Newand

What’s Next

Storm Surge Probabilities

Height Above Ground

Level (Inundation)

Height Above

Reference Level

Storm Surge Warning

H

H

(Inland) Hurricane Warning

Storm Surge Warnings

TOP TWO CHALLENGES

1. NEW COMMUNICATION METHODS THAT PROMPT

GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE SECTOR, COMMUNITIES

AND INDIVIDUALS TO TAKE ACTIONS, FROM YEARS

AHEAD TO THE TIME OF THE EVENT, MINIMIZING

STORM SURGE IMPACT.

2. A COORDINATED, COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AMONG

ALL INTERESTS TO ACHIEVE THE ABOVE GOAL.

NWS Storm Surge Program

• NHC Storm Surge Team: – Jamie Rhome (Team Lead)

– Tarah Sharon

– Kristy Sopkin

– Rebecca Waddington

Ncep.nhc.ssmia@noaa.gov, 305-229-4448

• MDL Developmental Team: – Dr. Wilson Shaffer

– Arthur Taylor

– Nicole Kurkowski

– Bobby Louangsaysongkham

– Julie Sepanik