1. Hurricane Awareness Week Introduction
2. Texas Hurricane History
3. Storm Surge and Marine Safety
4. Hurricane Winds and Tornadoes
5. Inland Flooding
6. Forecast Process
7. Be Prepared
8. Taking Action

1) Hurricane Preparedness Week Introduction

 THE HONORABLE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS...RICK PERRY...HAS DECLARED MAY 15 THROUGH MAY 21 AS HURRICANE AWARENESS WEEK IN TEXAS.

THE DEVASTATING HURRICANES THAT STRUCK FLORIDA REPEATEDLY LAST YEAR BROUGHT TO EVERYONES ATTENTION THE NEED TO PLAN FOR...AND BE PREPARED FOR...THE WORST. ONLY TWO HURRICANES HAVE CROSSED THE TEXAS COAST IN THE PAST 15 YEARS...SO CLIMATOLOGY TELLS US THAT TEXAS IS LONG OVERDUE FOR A STRIKE. 2004 WAS THE YEAR THAT MADE UP FOR PREVIOUS DECADES WITH TOO FEW HURRICANE STRIKES IN FLORIDA. THIS YEAR COULD EVEN THE COUNT FOR TEXAS.

THE EFFECTS OF A TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE CAN GO WELL BEYOND THE TEXAS COAST. HEAVY RAINFALL...FLOODING AND EVEN TORNADOES CAN OCCUR WELL INTO THE INLAND PARTS OF THE STATE. THAT MAKES THIS WEEK AN EXCELLENT TIME FOR EMERGENCY PLANNERS...CITY AND COUNTY OFFICIALS...THE MEDIA...AND THE PUBLIC TO WORK TOGETHER IN PREPARING FOR TROPICAL THREATS. SCHOOLS...HOSPITALS AND NURSING HOMES SHOULD TEST AND REVIEW THEIR PLANS AND MAKE CERTAIN THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE READY. FINALLY...EVERYONE LIVING OR VISITING AT THE COAST MUST BE READY TO MOVE TO SAFETY IF NECESSARY.

DURING THIS WEEK... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES ALONG THE TEXAS COAST WILL ISSUE PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS EACH DAY TO DISCUSS THE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS. THESE MESSAGES WILL BE ISSUED AT 600 AM EACH MORNING AND REPEATED AT 300 PM EACH AFTERNOON.

FINALLY...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WISHES TO THANK ALL INVOLVED IN ENHANCING PUBLIC SAFETY.

2) Texas Hurricane History

 ...A BRIEF HISTORY OF HURRICANES ALONG THE TEXAS COAST...

HURRICANES HAVE BEEN PART OF TEXAS COASTAL HISTORY AS LONG AS THE STATE HAS BEEN INHABITED.

THE GREAT GALVESTON HURRICANE OF SEPTEMBER 8...1900...REMAINS THE WORST NATURAL DISASTER IN THE UNITED STATES IN NUMBERS OF LIVES LOST. THE DEATHS CAN ONLY BE GUESSED AT... BUT 8 THOUSAND IS THE ESTIMATE MOST FREQUENTLY USED. IN 1900 THE POPULATION OF GALVESTON WAS SLIGHTLY OVER 20 THOUSAND. DRIVEN BY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 125 MPH... THE RAGING GULF WATERS COVERED THE ISLAND TO A DEPTH UP TO 15 FEET. BUILDINGS MADE OF WOOD FLOATED OFF PILINGS AND SMASHED INTO ONE ANOTHER. AS BUILDINGS COLLAPSED AND DISINTEGRATED... THEIR OCCUPANTS WERE THRUST INTO THE WATER TO DROWN. THE LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE HAD SOUNDED THE ALARM ON THE PREVIOUS DAY...AND OVER 10 THOUSAND PEOPLE FLED INLAND...AN ACTION THAT NO DOUBT SAVED THEIR LIVES. OF THE 10 THOUSAND WHO DID NOT EVACUATE...FEWER THAN 2 THOUSAND SURVIVED.

IN ITS EARLY HISTORY... THE COASTAL BEND AREA FELT A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY AGAINST HURRICANES. CORPUS CHRISTI...WITH ITS HIGH BLUFF AND THE PROTECTIVE BARRIER ISLAND... FELT PARTICULARLY SAFE. LOCAL NEWSPAPERS AS EARLY AS 1886 REFERRED TO CORPUS CHRISTI AS "THE ONLY REALLY SAFE PLACE ON THE TEXAS COAST." THIS FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY PROVED TO BE DISASTROUS. THE GREAT HURRICANE OF SEPTEMBER 14...1919...MOVED INLAND SOME 25 MILES SOUTH OF CORPUS CHRISTI... PUTTING THE CITY IN THE DREADED RIGHT FRONT QUADRANT WHERE THE STRONGEST WINDS AND HIGHEST STORM SURGES NORMALLY OCCUR. WHEN THE EVENT HAD ENDED...THE BEACHES WERE LITTERED WITH DEBRIS AND BODIES. NEARLY 300 PERSONS DIED AND DAMAGE EXCEEDED 20 MILLION DOLLARS.

NO LIST COULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT CARLA...WHICH MADE LANDFALL NEAR PORT LAVACA ON SEPTEMBER 11... 1961. CARLA WAS AMONG THE LARGEST HURRICANES OF HISTORICAL RECORD...WITH ALL OF THE DAMAGING HURRICANE ELEMENTS. IT PRODUCED MANY TORNADOES...PEAK WINDS ESTIMATED TO 175 MPH... TORRENTIAL RAINS... AND A STORM SURGE OF 19 FEET AT PORT LAVACA. THE DEATH TOLL OF ONLY 46 PERSONS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED IN PART TO WHAT AT THE TIME WAS THE LARGEST PEACE TIME EVACUATION OF AN AREA IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. A QUARTER MILLION PEOPLE LEFT THE MIDDLE AND UPPER TEXAS COASTS FOR SAFETY.

RECENT DECADES HAVE SEEN DRAMATIC SHIFTS IN NUMBER AND INTENSITY OF HURRICANES. AFTER THE DEVASTATING EVENTS OF THE 1960S... INCLUDING HURRICANES CARLA...CINDY AND BEULAH...THE 1970S BROUGHT ONLY TWO HURRICANES. BUT ONE OF THOSE WAS CELIA...WHOSE DEVASTATING WINDS CUT A WIDE PATH OF DESTRUCTION FROM CORPUS CHRISTI WESTWARD INTO THE MOUNTAINS OF MEXICO. THE 1980S BROUGHT WITH THEM FIVE MORE HURRICANES...A LARGE NUMBER FOR ANY TEN YEAR PERIOD. AMONG THOSE WAS GIGANTIC HURRICANE ALLEN... WHICH NEARLY COVERED THE GULF AS IT TRACKED TOWARD THE TEXAS COAST. ONLY A MIRACULOUS DECREASE IN INTENSITY AS IT MOVED ONSHORE BETWEEN CORPUS CHRISTI AND BROWNSVILLE PREVENTED A GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.

WE TEXANS HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE IN THE PAST DECADE OF THE 1990S. ONLY ONE HURRICANE...BRET...CROSSED THE STATE COASTLINE DURING THE TEN YEAR STRETCH. AGAIN...THIS VERY INTENSE HURRICANE WEAKENED AS IT CROSSED THE COAST SOUTH OF CORPUS CHRISTI.

SO FAR IN THIS NEW DECADE...ONLY HURRICANE CLAUDETTE HAS STRUCK THE STATE.

OF COURSE...IT DOES NOT TAKE A HURRICANE TO CAUSE DAMAGE OR COST LIVES. AND THE EFFECT OF A STORM IS NOT RESTRICTED TO THE COAST. TEXAS HISTORY IS FILLED WITH RECORD RAINFALLS FROM TROPICAL STORMS THAT NEVER REACHED HURRICANE STRENGTH. IN 1978...TROPICAL STORM AMELIA MOVED INTO THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY AND DROPPED 48 INCHES OF RAIN IN JUST OVER TWO DAYS. THE FOLLOWING YEAR... TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE STRUCK THE HOUSTON/GALVESTON AREA WITH AN UNBELIEVABLE 43 INCHES OF RAIN IN JUST 24 HOURS. IN 1998... TROPICAL STORM CHARLEY CAUSED MANY DEATHS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DESTRUCTION AS IT PRODUCED 18 INCHES OF RAIN IN JUST OVER 4 HOURS. AND THE LATEST RECORD BREAKER WAS TROPICAL STORM ALLISON IN 2001 WHICH BROUGHT 32 INCHES OF RAIN AND OVER 5 BILLION DOLLARS OF DAMAGE TO SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

SINCE WE CANNOT PREVENT HURRICANES... THE NEXT BEST THING IS TO KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO AND BE PREPARED. REMEMBER THAT THOSE WHO DO NOT STUDY HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT.

3) Storm Surge and Marine Safety

…STORM SURGE AND MARINE SAFETY…

SOME OF THE HAZARDS MOST EASILY IDENTIFIED WITH HURRICANES ARE STRONG WINDS...TORNADOES…FLOODING AND STORM SURGE. OF THESE…STORM SURGE AND HIGH WAVES ARE THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE TO COASTAL FACILITIES AND CAN CAUSE TREMENDOUS COASTAL EROSION. STORM SURGE IS SIMPLY WATER THAT IS PUSHED TOWARD THE SHORE BY THE FORCE OF THE WINDS SWIRLING AROUND THE STORM.

THIS SURGE COMBINES WITH THE NORMAL TIDES TO CREATE THE HURRICANE STORM TIDE…WHICH CAN INCREASE THE MEAN WATER LEVEL 15 FEET OR MORE. AN ADDITIONAL HAZARD ALSO FORMS AS WIND DRIVEN WAVES DEVELOP UPON THE STORM TIDE. THIS RISE IN WATER LEVEL CAN CAUSE SEVERE FLOODING IN COASTAL AREAS. BECAUSE MUCH OF THE DENSELY POPULATED ATLANTIC AND GULF COAST COASTLINES LIE LESS THAN 10 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL…THE DANGER FROM STORM TIDES IS TREMENDOUS. BECAUSE OF THE SHALLOW COASTAL WATERS OFF THE TEXAS...STORM SURGES WILL BE HIGHER FOR A TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE MAKING LANDFALL VERSES THE SAME STORM HITTING OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

HISTORICALLY...STORM SURGE WAS THE MAJOR CAUSE OF DEATH FROM HURRICANES. HOWEVER...IN THE UNITED STATES...IMPROVED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT EVACUATIONS HAVE REDUCED THESE NUMBERS. THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY STILL REMAINS GREAT AND THIS POTENTIAL IS INCREASED WHEN WARNINGS AND EVACUATION ORDERS ARE NOT HEEDED.

THERE IS NO SINGLE RULE OF THUMB THAT CAN BE USED BY MARINERS TO ENSURE AT LEAST MINIMUM SAFE SEPARATION FROM A TROPICAL CYCLONE. CONSTANT MONITORING OF TROPICAL CYCLONE POTENTIAL AND A CONTINUAL RISK ANALYSIS… WHEN USED WITH SOME FUNDAMENTAL GUIDELINES ARE THE BASIC RECOMMENDED TOOLS TO HELP MINIMIZE A TROPICAL CYCLONE’S IMPACT TO A VESSEL AT SEA OR IN PORT.

HOWEVER…MARINERS MUST BE CAUTIONED NEVER TO LEAVE THEMSELVES WITH ONLY A SINGLE NAVIGATION OPTION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO AVOID A TROPICAL CYCLONE IN THE ATLANTIC. SEA ROOM TO MANEUVER IS NOT TOO SIGNIFICANT A FACTOR IN THE WIDE OPEN WATERS OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC, BUT CAN BECOME AN EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT CONSIDERATION WHEN OPERATING IN THE CONFINED WATERS OF THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA AND GULF OF MEXICO. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, EARLY DECISIONS TO LEAVE RESTICTED MANUEVER AREAS ARE THE MOST SENSIBLE CHOICE.

AT A MINIUMUM…OBTAIN LATEST MARINE PREDICTION CENTER AND TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER ANALYSIS/FORECAST CHARTS INCLUDING SURFACE…UPPER LEVEL…AND SEA STATE CHARTS. LOCATE AND PLOT TROPICAL WAVES…DISTURBANCES…AND TROPICAL CYCLONES. IF AVAILABLE…EXAMINE CURRENT SATELLITE IMAGERY. OBTAIN LATEST TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVISORY MESSAGES. PLOT CURRENT AND FORECAST POSITIONS OF ALL ACTIVE AND SUSPECTED TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY. PLOT COMPLETED TROPICAL CYCLONE DANGER AREA TO AVOID CHART.

DETERMINE POSSIBLE COURSES OF ACTION (AT LEAST 2) FOR VESSEL TO TAKE IN ORDER TO REMAIN CLEAR OF THE DANGER. EVALUATE CURRENT AND NEARBY PORT AND HURRICANE HAVEN LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED FOR TROPICAL CYCLONE AVOIDANCE. MAKE A DECISION ON A COURSE OF ACTION TO FOLLOW AND EXECUTE. CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF ANY TROPICAL CYCLONES.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING HURRICANES OR HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS...PLEASE VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV OR CONTACT YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

4) Hurricane Winds and Tornadoes

HURRICANES PRODUCE A NUMBER OF WEATHER HAZARDS. ARGUABLY THE MOST AWESOME AND DANGEROUS FORCE AT WORK DURING A HURRICANE IS THE WIND. WINDS IN A HURRICANE CIRCULATE COUNTER CLOCKWISE AND BECOME INCREASINGLY STRONGER AS YOU APPROACH THE CENTER OF THE STORM IN A REGION CALLED THE EYE WALL. THE DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN THIS EYE WALL REGION REACH SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 74 MILES PER HOUR OR GREATER AND WIND GUSTS CAN BE CONSIDERABLY HIGHER. WIND SPEED USUALLY DECREASES SIGNIFICANTLY WITHIN 12 HOURS AFTER LANDFALL. HOWEVER...WINDS CAN STAY ABOVE HURRICANE STRENGTH WELL INLAND.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS CAN EASILY DESTROY POORLY CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS AND MOBILE HOMES. DEBRIS SUCH AS SIGNS...ROOFING MATERIAL...AND SMALL ITEMS LEFT OUTSIDE BECOME FLYING MISSILES IN HURRICANES. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO TREES...TOWERS...WATER AND UNDERGROUND UTILITY LINES (FROM UPROOTED TREES)...AND FALLEN POLES CAUSE CONSIDERABLE DISRUPTION. HIGH RISE BUILDINGS ARE ALSO VULNERABLE TO HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...PARTICULARLY AT THE HIGHER LEVELS SINCE WIND SPEED TENDS TO INCREASE WITH HEIGHT. RECENT RESEARCH SUGGESTS YOU SHOULD STAY BELOW THE TENTH FLOOR...BUT
STILL ABOVE THE LOWER FLOORS AT RISK FOR FLOODING. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR HIGH RISE BUILDINGS TO SUFFER A GREAT DEAL OF DAMAGE DUE TO WINDOWS BEING BLOWN OUT.

HURRICANE INTENSITY IS DETERMINED BY THE SPEED OF THE WIND AND POTENTIAL DAMAGE. A CATEGORY 1 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE...HAS LIGHTER WINDS COMPARED TO STORMS OF HIGHER CATEGORIES. A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE WOULD HAVE WINDS BETWEEN 131 AND 155 MPH AND WOULD USUALLY BE EXPECTED TO CAUSE 100 TIMES THE DAMAGE OF THE CATEGORY 1 STORM. DEPENDING ON CIRCUMSTANCES...LESS INTENSE STORMS MAY STILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE DAMAGE... PARTICULARLY IN AREAS THAT HAVE NOT PREPARED IN ADVANCE.

ALTHOUGH HURRICANE TRACK FORECASTING HAS IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES...FORECASTING THE INTENSITY OF THE WIND HAS SHOWN LITTLE IMPROVEMENT AND IS THE MOST DIFFICULT TO PREDICT. A HURRICANE CAN STRENGTHEN RAPIDLY. WHEN PREPARING FOR A HURRICANE LANDFALL...YOU SHOULD CONSIDER PLANNING FOR A STORM AT LEAST 1 CATEGORY HIGHER THAN FORECAST.

HURRICANES CAN ALSO PRODUCE TORNADOES THAT ADD TO THE STORMS DESTRUCTIVE POWER. TORNADOES ARE MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR IN THE RIGHT FRONT QUADRANT OF THE HURRICANE. HOWEVER...THEY ARE OFTEN FOUND EMBEDDED IN THE RAINBANDS...WELL AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE. ONE EXAMPLE OCCURRED IN 1988 WHEN TORNADOES... ASSOCIATED WITH RAINBANDS FROM A DECAYING HURRICANE GILBERT...HIT THE CITIES OF SAN ANTONIO AND DEL RIO AFTER THE STORM MADE LANDFALL 125 MILES SOUTH OF BROWNSVILLE.

SOME HURRICANES SEEM TO PRODUCE NO TORNADOES...WHILE OTHERS DEVELOP MULTIPLE TORNADOES. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT MORE THAN HALF OF THE LANDFALLING HURRICANES PRODUCE AT LEAST ONE TORNADO. HURRICANE BEULAH...WHICH STRUCK THE SOUTH TEXAS COAST IN 1967 SPAWNED 141 TORNADOES. IN GENERAL TORNADOES ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANES ARE LESS INTENSE THAT THOSE THAT OCCUR IN THE GREAT PLAINS. NONETHELESS...THE EFFECTS OF TORNADOES ADDED TO THE LARGER AREA OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...CAN PRODUCE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

5) Inland Flooding

STATISTICALLY...MORE PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM INLAND FLOODING THAN STORM SURGE...TORNADOES...OR HIGH WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL CYCLONES IN THE PAST 30 YEARS. INLAND FLOODING CAN BE A MAJOR THREAT TO COMMUNITIES HUNDREDS OF MILES FROM THE COAST AS INTENSE RAIN FALLS FROM THESE HUGE TROPICAL AIR MASSES.

INTENSE RAINFALL IS NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE INTERNAL WIND SPEED OF TROPICAL CYCLONES. IN FACT... SOME OF THE GREATEST RAINFALL AMOUNTS OCCUR IN WEAKER STORMS THAT DRIFT SLOWLY OR STALL OVER AN AREA.

THE MOST DRAMATIC EXAMPLE RECENTLY OCCURRED IN 2001 WHEN TROPICAL STORM ALLISON PRODUCED EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINFALL AND CATASTROPHIC FLOODS IN THE HOUSTON TEXAS AREA. AS ALLISON DRIFTED TO THE EAST AND THEN NORTHEAST...HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING CONTINUED FROM LOUISIANA...TO NORTH CAROLINA... AND EVEN AS FAR NORTH AS MASSACHUSETTS. OVER 30 PEOPLE DIED IN THE HOUSTON AREA...AND NEARLY 5 BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGES WERE INCURRED.

HERE ARE SEVERAL STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.

PROTECT YOUR PAST...

PLACE VALUABLES IN PLASTIC STORAGE CONTAINERS AND MOVE THEM TO THE ATTIC OR OTHER ELEVATED LOCATION. FOR JEWELRY AND PHOTOS ON YOUR WALLS...HAVE SMALL...EMPTY PLASTIC STORAGE CONTAINERS NEARBY SO YOU CAN QUICKLY SCOOP UP YOUR BELONGINGS AND PLACE THEM IN ELEVATED LOCATIONS.

PROTECT YOUR PRESENT...

PURCHASE INSURANCE THROUGH THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM. IT WILL HELP YOU RECOVER FROM A FINANCIAL LOSS DUE TO FLOODING.

PROTECT YOUR FUTURE...

BEFORE A FLOOD... ELEVATE EXPENSIVE ITEMS SUCH AS OUTSIDE AIR CONDITIONING UNITS. SEAL VENTS TO BASEMENTS TO PREVENT FLOODING. DURING A FLOOD... IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF YOUR ELECTRICITY AT THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS.

PROTECT YOUR PEACE OF MIND...

KNOW YOUR EVACUATION ROUTES. HAVE DETAILED MAPS TO NAVIGATE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES IF THE USUAL ROADS ARE FLOODED. PLAN AHEAD FOR THE FLOOD. WHERE WOULD YOU EVACUATE TO? WHERE IS THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR YOUR INSURANCE AGENT AND HOME-REPAIR CONTRACTOR? GET ANSWERS TO ALL YOUR QUESTIONS BEFORE A FLOOD OCCURS. ABOVE ALL REMAIN CALM AND FOLLOW YOUR PLAN OF ACTION. MANY FLOOD DEATHS RESULT FROM FEAR AND NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU.

6) Forecast Process

...HURRICANE FORECASTING...

PART OF THE MISSION OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (NWS) TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER (TPC) IS TO SAVE LIVES AND PROTECT PROPERTY BY ISSUING WATCHES... WARNINGS... FORECASTS... AND ANALYSES OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THE TROPICS. THIS SECTION PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROLES OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING HURRICANE INFORMATION TO EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND DECISION MAKERS.

THE TPC IS COMPRISED OF THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER (NHC)... THE TROPICAL ANALYSIS AND FORECAST BRANCH (TAFB)... AND THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT BRANCH (TSB). DURING HURRICANE SEASON... THE LATTER TWO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE NHC.

THE LOCAL NWS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES (WFOS) IN HURRICANE-PRONE AREAS ARE ALSO IMPORTANT PARTICIPANTS IN THE FORECAST PROCESS.

THE NHC AND YOUR LOCAL WFO HAVE VARIOUS ROLES IN THE FORECAST PROCESS THAT ARE CLOSELY COORDINATED. THEIR ACTIVITIES ARE SUMMARIZED BELOW.

OBSERVATION...
OBSERVATIONS INCLUDING SATELLITES... BUOYS... RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT... AND RADAR ARE THE BASIS FOR ALL FORECAST AND WARNING PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THE NHC. QUALITY... QUANTITY... AND TIMELINESS OF REMOTE SENSING OBSERVATIONS IS CRITICAL FOR ACCURATE AND TIMELY FORECASTS AND WARNINGS.

ANALYSIS...
THE VARIOUS OBSERVATIONS ARE CHECKED FOR QUALITY...ANALYZED... AND PUT INTO A SUITE OF COMPUTER MODELS.

MODEL GUIDANCE AND INTERPRETATION...
THE COMPUTER MODELS TAKE IN THE OBSERVATIONS AND PERFORM MILLIONS OF CALCULATIONS TO GENERATE PREDICTIONS OF HURRICANE BEHAVIOR AND THE GENERAL CONDITIONS OF THE ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH THE HURRICANE IS EMBEDDED. THE MODEL RESULTS ARE PACKAGED AS GUIDANCE FOR THE APPROPRIATE NATIONAL CENTERS AND LOCAL OFFICES AND FOR EVALUATION AND USE IN THE NWS FORECAST AND WARNING PROCESS.

COORDINATION WITHIN THE NWS...
FORECASTS AND WARNINGS ARE COORDINATED BETWEEN THE NATIONAL CENTERS AND LOCAL FORECAST OFFICES TO PROVIDE CONSISTENCY... WHICH IS CRITICAL DURING SEVERE WEATHER EPISODES.

PRODUCT GENERATION...
ONCE THE COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION PROCESS REACHES GROUP CONSENSUS... THE ISSUING OFFICES GENERATE FORECAST AND WARNING PRODUCTS FOR RELEASE TO THE PUBLIC.

PRODUCT DISSEMINATION...
TIMELY AND RELIABLE DISSEMINATION OF FORECASTS AND WARNINGS IS CRITICAL TO THE PROTECTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY. THE TYPES OF PRODUCTS ISSUED ARE DESCRIBED ON THE FORECAST PRODUCTS PAGE.

COORDINATION WITH CUSTOMERS...
THE NHC AND THE LOCAL NWS FORECAST OFFICE WORK WITH YOUR COMMUNITY LEADERS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE FORECAST AND WARNING PRODUCTS ISSUED WERE USEFUL AND HOW THEY CAN PROVIDE YOU EVEN BETTER SERVICE IN THE FUTURE.

WATCH VS. WARNING - KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

A HURRICANE WATCH ISSUED FOR YOUR PART OF THE COAST INDICATES THE POSSIBILITY THAT YOU COULD EXPERIENCE HURRICANE CONDITIONS WITHIN 36 HOURS. THIS WATCH SHOULD TRIGGER YOUR FAMILY'S DISASTER PLAN... AND PROTECTIVE MEASURES SHOULD BE INITIATED... ESPECIALLY THOSE ACTIONS THAT REQUIRE EXTRA TIME SUCH AS SECURING A BOAT... LEAVING A BARRIER ISLAND... ETC.

A HURRICANE WARNING ISSUED FOR YOUR PART OF THE COAST INDICATES THAT SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 74 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITHIN 24 HOURS OR LESS. ONCE THIS WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED... YOUR FAMILY SHOULD BE IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING PROTECTIVE ACTIONS AND DECIDING THE SAFEST LOCATION TO BE DURING THE STORM.

FOR MORE INFORMATION...JOIN US AT THE NWS SOUTHERN REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS WEBSITE AT... WWW.SRH.WEATHER.GOV.

7) Be Prepared

...DISASTER PREVENTION (BE PREPARED)...

THE IMPACT OF A MAJOR HURRICANE ON ANY OF THE TEXAS COASTAL COMMUNITIES WOULD BE A DISASTER OF SIGNIFICANT PROPORTIONS. THEREFORE…IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL TEXAS COASTAL RESIDENTS TO PREPARE FOR THESE STORMS IN ADVANCE. BELOW IS A SHORT LISTING OF GUIDELINES TO HELP YOU DEVELOP A PLAN TO SURVIVE A HURRICANE... MINIMIZE YOUR LOSSES...AND RECOVER ONCE THE STORM MOVES AWAY.

FIRST THING YOU SHOULD DO IS ASSEMBLE A HURRICANE SUPPLY KIT. LARGE WATERPROOF STORAGE CONTAINERS AND ROLL AWAY SUITCASES MAKE GOOD STORAGE DEVICES. YOU WILL WANT TO ASSEMBLE ENOUGH NON-PERISHABLE FOOD...WATER...MEDICINE AND MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES FOR A TWO WEEK PERIOD.

SECOND…DECIDE IF YOU WILL NEED TO EVACUATE WHEN A STORM THREATENS AND WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO GO. PRIMARY INTERSTATES ARE NOT ALWAYS THE BEST EVACUATION ROUTES. BE AWARE OF THE MANY ALTERNATE ROUTES IN YOUR AREA. YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE CAN HELP YOU TO DETERMINE THE BEST ROUTE TO TAKE. BE SURE TO NOTIFY FRIENDS AND RELATIVES OF YOUR PLANS.

THIRD…PLAN TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY BY PURCHASING SOME STURDY STORM SHUTTERS AND EXTRA BRACING FOR YOUR GARAGE DOORS. PAST HURRICANES HAVE PROVEN THAT ONCE THE WIND ENTERS THE HOME OR BUSINESS...THE ROOF IS USUALLY THE FIRST TO GO AND YOU COULD EXPERIENCE A TOTAL LOSS.

FOURTH…CHECK YOUR INSURANCE COVERAGE TO MAKE SURE IT ADEQUATELY MEETS YOUR NEEDS. A COMPLETE INVENTORY OF YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY WILL HELP IN OBTAINING INSURANCE SETTLEMENTS. REMEMBER FLOOD INSURANCE IS NOT INCLUDED WITH YOUR REGULAR HOME OWNERS POLICY. THEREFORE...IF YOU LIVE IN A FLOOD ZONE...OR NEAR THE COAST...YOU SHOULD CONSIDER PURCHASING A FLOOD POLICY.

FIFTH…IF YOU PLAN TO EVACUATE AND YOU HAVE A PET...REMEMBER...MANY HOTELS AND SHELTERS DO NOT ACCEPT PETS. PLANNING AHEAD COULD SAVE CONSIDERABLE TIME AND HARDSHIPS IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.

FINALLY…BEFORE THE STORM APPROACHES...GAS UP YOUR VEHICLE...OBTAIN PLENTY OF CASH AND LEAVE WHEN OFFICIALS ADVISE. WAITING UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT COULD PLACE YOU WITHIN A LONG LINE OF CARS TRYING TO ESCAPE HARMS WAY.

8) Taking Action

...TAKE ACTION...

IT IS NOW TIME TO PUT YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION. YOU SHOULD USE THIS FINAL DAY IN HURRICANE AWARENESS WEEK TO PUT YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION AS IF A HURRICANE IS THREATENING YOUR AREA.

...WHEN A HURRICANE ENTERS THE GULF...

CHECK YOU DISASTER SUPPLY KIT. CHANGE OUT ANY OLD FOOD AND REPLACE IT WITH FRESH. PUT FRESH BATTERIES IN YOUR RADIO AND FLASHLIGHTS AND PUT AN EXTRA SET OF FRESH BATTERIES IN THE KIT. MAKE SURE YOUR IMPORTANT PAPERS ARE UP TO DATE.

FILL YOUR AUTOMOBILES WITH GAS. GET EXTRA CASH. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE FOOD FOR YOUR PETS.

SECURE YOUR BOAT OR BEACH HOUSE FOR THE STORM BEFORE THE WATCH IS ISSUED.

...WHEN A HURRICANE WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED...

INSTALL COVERINGS ON WINDOWS AND DOORS. PICK UP ITEMS OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE THAT COULD BECOME MISSILES OF DESTRUCTION.

FILL YOUR BATHTUB WITH WATER...ESPECIALLY IF YOU PLAN TO STAY DURING THE STORM. REPLENISH YOUR WATER IN YOUR KIT.

...WHEN A HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED OR YOU HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED TO EVACUATE INLAND...

PUT YOUR DISASTER KIT IN YOUR AUTOMOBILE.

NOTIFY A RELATIVE OR SOMEONE WHO IS YOUR INLAND CONTACT THAT YOU ARE EVACUATING YOUR HOME. NOTIFY A NEIGHBOR THAT YOU ARE EVACUATING AND HOW YOU CAN BE REACHED.

SECURE YOUR HOUSE AND SHUT OFF YOUR POWER TO YOUR HOUSE. DO NOT TURN YOUR GAS OFF.

EVACUATE...DRIVE YOUR EVACUATION ROUTE TO YOUR DESTINATION. WHEN RETURNING HOME TAKE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE THAT COULD BE USED.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR PETS.

...AFTER THE STORM...

CHECK YOUR HOME FOR DAMAGE BEFORE TURNING POWER BACK ON.

REMOVE WINDOW AND DOOR COVERINGS.

NOTIFY A RELATIVE THAT YOU ARE BACK HOME AND YOUR HOME IS OK.

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