Advisory Committee on Water Information

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Advisory Committee on Water Information
Emergency Response toHurricanes Katrina and Rita
Scott KiserTropical Cyclone Program
ManagerNOAA/NWSJanuary 19, 2006
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Mission of NOAAs National Weather Service
To provide the best meteorologic and hydrologic
forecasts, watches and warnings possible.
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Satellite Loop of Katrina
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Satellite Loop of Rita
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Before Event

• Forecasts
• Watches
• Warnings

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Forecast Advisory 15Friday August 26 10 PM CDT
Katrina Track
Forecast Track
Advisory 15 Issued
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Advisory 20Thursday September 22 10 AM CDT
Forecast for Sat 9/24/05 04CDT (09Z) 42 Hr Fcst
29.55N 94.13W 105kt (120 mph) Moving 11kts
(13mph)
Rita Track
Forecast Track
Advisory 20 Issued
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National Hurricane CenterAtlantic Track Forecast
Errors
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Single Track Storm Surge Forecast
NHC track forecast
Shows envelope of high water relative to mean
sea level (of 1929)
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Before Event

• Hurricane Liaison Team
• Regional Operations Center
• Equipment and staffing checks
• Briefings to decision makers
• Hydrologists to inland NWS offices
• Staff to state emergency operations centers

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During Event

• Maintain the mission
• Communicate and brief decisionmakers
• Invoke backup if needed

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NWS Facilities
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Post Storm

• Establish communications
• Reroute data and radar information
• Incident meteorologists to support rescue and
  recovery operations
• Assessment of operations

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What Does the Future Hold?

• Long term above average hurricane activity
• La Nina and El Nino

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What Does the Future Hold?

• There are other sites especially vulnerable to
  disaster
• Houston/Galveston
• New Orleans (again)
• Tampa Bay
• Southwest Florida
• Florida Keys
• Southeast Florida
• New York City/Long Island
• New England