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As 2017’s first major hurricane, Harvey hit Texas on August 25. With rainfall totals over 50 inches in spots, Harvey is the wettest tropical system on record for the continental U.S.
Catastrophic flooding left sections of Texas and western Louisiana underwater.
Here’s a close look at Irma’s eye as it produced 185 mph winds.
This “1-minute” visible imagery was created with data from the still-experimental NOAA GOES-16’s Advanced Baseline Imager.
Along with more frequent scans, the near-real-time imagery provides the most detailed look yet at the structure and characteristics of storms. The result: faster, more reliable watches and warnings.
Imagery: Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere
The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) onboard NOAA's GOES-16 provides a constant vigil over lightning flashes across the Western Hemisphere. This animation shows storms associated with Irma on September 8.
As the first instrument of its kind in geostationary orbit, GLM, along with other tools, helps provide more accurate, earlier warnings of developing severe storms.
Rapid increases in lightning signal that a storm is strengthening, giving a vital clue that it may become more dangerous.
Louis W. Uccellini, Ph.D.
Director, NOAA National Weather Service
from an interview in The Atlantic
September 12, 2017
Storm Surge Watches & Warnings highlight areas along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts at-risk for life-threatening inundation. Often the greatest threat to life and property, storm surge can occur at different times and locations than hazardous winds. Separate warnings for each hazard will save lives.
Watches, Warnings & Advisories for potential tropical cyclones provide a vital heads-up for disturbances threatening danger to land areas within 48 hours. Forecast advances now allow the confident prediction of threatening events even as they are developing, rather than waiting until they actually occur.
“Time of Arrival” graphics help coastal communities determine how much time they have to prepare safely for tropical-storm-force winds. Still experimental, graphics showing “earliest reasonable” and “likely” arrival times provide critical planning thresholds. Communities have the flexibility to plan, yet avoid being caught off-guard.
"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."
Here's how a community near San Juan looked before Hurricane Maria.
Credit: Mapbox
Here's how the same community looked after Maria hit on September 20.
Credit: National Geodetic Survey
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