Text version (508 Compliance)

NOAA’s Atlantic outlook was on target for an active and above-normal season.

Two weeks later, Hurricane Irma, a rare Category 5, became the strongest Atlantic Ocean hurricane on record. Winds peaked at 185 mph winds, and stayed that intense for 37 hours.

Before landfall, Irma was 500 miles wide, 139 miles wider than Florida.

On September 9, Hurricane Jose brushed areas ravaged by Irma three days earlier. Hurricane Maria soon followed, striking Puerto Rico with Irma-level winds and Harvey-level flooding.

"History is being made this season. New satellites, modeling tools and other new technology, and a revamped institutional philosophy designed to build a Weather-Ready Nation, amount to a complete change in how NOAA prepares our country and our communities for hurricanes."

                                               Louis W. Uccellini, Ph.D.
                                               Director, NOAA National Weather Service
                                               from an interview in The Atlantic 
                                               September 12, 2017

The above animation makes a compelling point about the high-impact value of NOAA Research’s Global Systems Division weather models.

Shown (right) are radar observations of Hurricane Maria striking Puerto Rico. Later, the radar was severely damaged, cutting off observations.

Shown (left) is NOAA’s experimental HRRRX, a real-time, hourly updated severe weather model that provides significantly greater coverage than the radar and continues vital coverage even after radar is lost.

HRRRX accurately forecast Maria's and Irma's tracks more than 24 hours in advance, and accurately predicted Harvey’s path and record rainfall up to 48 hours in advance.

A new National Hurricane Center product shows that hazardous conditions can occur well outside of the forecast cone. Another shows a smaller cone of uncertainty.

Here are three more new products:

NOAA’s Office of Education helped spur development of CoCoRaHS, the acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network.

CoCoRaHS now has more than 20,000 volunteer observers. Of the network’s 333 coordinators, 254 work closely with NOAA.

When Hurricane Harvey hit, the Texas network played a vital role, tracking and mapping extreme rain throughout the storm, giving NWS forecasters a better real-time picture of what was happening on the ground.

"So many are passing your website along. Whether good or bad, knowing is such a relief."

"Wow! Thank you all at NOAA! We were able to see our house." 

"You really made a difference in our lives today."

After each of this season’s hurricanes, NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey collected aerial images to help assess damage in areas targeted by the National Weather Service and FEMA.

Collected with specialized remote-sensing cameras aboard NOAA aircraft, the imagery is a crucial and cost-effective way of determining the extent of damage to homes, communities, infrastructure, major ports, waterways, and coastlines.

Since late August, about 65,000 images have been collected. For Hurricanes Harvey and Irma alone, there have been 1.7 billion requests for these images.

Following Hurricane Irma, NOAA Ensign Dylan Kosten led a NOAA Coast Survey Navigation Response Team surveying Tampa Bay. 

Homeported in Connecticut, the team traveled to Florida to coordinate the survey with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Ports of Tampa and Manatee handle about 41 percent of Florida’s motor fuel and, supported by the survey, the Coast Guard allowed three vessels to enter the port, bringing much-needed fuel to Florida residents.   

Mike Annis (right), NOAA scientist and lead of NOAA's Mobile Integrated Survey Team (MIST), and LCDR Jonathan French, NOAA Corps officer in charge of a NOAA Coast Survey Navigation Response Team, mount side scan sonar on a Coast Guard vessel in Key West.

After locating navigational hazards, clearance was given for cruise ships, Navy vessels and Coast Guard cutters to enter the Port of Key West. Cruise ships needed safe access to provide temporary housing for responders and residents.

In Texas, Coast Survey supported port reopening in Corpus Christi and Seadrift/Matagorda and provided survey support to help reopen ports in Houston and Galveston. 

ERMA® (Environmental Response Management Application) is an online, regionally-tailored mapping tool that integrates static and real-time data.

Throughout this hurricane season, ERMA contributed to the significant work of the National Ocean Service’s Office of Response and Restoration by providing fast, reliable access to key data.

Gulf of Mexico ERMA’s continuing data about massive inundation and flooding were especially critical because that region is home to the nation’s largest oil refinery and serious spills in local waterways can follow devastating floods.

Jen Leo (right) and Jennifer Doer, research biologists at NOAA Fisheres' Galveston Lab, used a NOAA field study boat to rescue flood-stranded Texans. Joined by Kris Benson, of NOAA Fisheries' Office of Habitat Conservation, they helped process welfare checks in addition to evacuating adults, children and many pets over several days.

Storm Tracker App shows development, intensity,     
track, and true-color imagery of every named storm.