Highlights
The National Hurricane Center is responsible for tracking tropical systems in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and providing watches and warnings when storms threaten land areas. Its ultimate mission is to save lives and help protect property. The hurricane center is located on the campus of Florida International University in western Miami-Dade County. Jurisdictionally speaking, it falls under the National Weather Service, which comes under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA, in turn, answers to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The center has 10 primary tropical meteorologists, who are called hurricane specialists. During the Atlantic hurricane season, f...
The National Hurricane Center is responsible for tracking tropical systems in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and providing watches and warnings when storms threaten land areas. Its ultimate mission is to save lives and help protect property. The hurricane center is located on the campus of Florida International University in western Miami-Dade County. Jurisdictionally speaking, it falls under the National Weather Service, which comes under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA, in turn, answers to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The center has 10 primary tropical meteorologists, who are called hurricane specialists. During the Atlantic hurricane season, from June 1 through Nov. 30, they write advisories any time a system strengthens into a tropical depression. Once a system develops sustained winds of 39 mph, it is designated a tropical storm and given a name. A tropical storm becomes a hurricane with sustained winds of 74 mph. Advisories, which provide a storm's strength, position and projected track, are written every six hours, released at 5 a.m. and 11 a.m., and at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern time. They are provided more often when a storm is approaching land. Hurricane specialists rely heavily on computer models for guidance on how to craft their advisories. The models, in turn, are fed atmospheric information derived from satellites, radar, ocean buoys and reconnaissance aircraft. Historically speaking, tracking tropical storms was originally the responsibility of the National Weather Service in Miami, Florida. As of 1965, the Miami weather office established the National Hurricane Center as part of its internal workings. In 1984, the hurricane center was broken out as its own entity. It had been housed in a building on the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables and later in a building across the street from the university before it moved into its current facility in 1995. In its history, the hurricane center has had nine directors: Gordon Dunn (1965-1967) Robert Simpson (1967-1973) Neil Frank (1973-1987) Bob Sheets (1987-1995) Bob Burpee (1996-1997) Jerry Jarrell (1998-2000) Max Mayfield (2000-2007) Bill Proenza (2007) In 2007, the center experienced internal tumult, shortly after Proenza was installed as director. Proenza angered his superiors when he publicly warned the inevitable demise of a weather satellite would cause hurricane forecasts to suffer. At the same time, he alienated many on his staff, who felt he had undermined public confidence in the center. Despite support from some members of Congress, Proenza was removed from the position after only seven months on the job. He was later returned to his previous job as head of the National Weather Service Southern Region in Fort Worth, Texas. Currently, NOAA is in the process of selecting a new director. Ed Rappaport, the center's deputy director, has been named acting director in the interim.
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Clouds moving in with cold front, rain
Maryland WeatherSure, the sun is shining out there this morning, and it's a pleasant 75 degrees or so. But it's not going to last long.The National Weather Service radar and satellite data clearly show there's a front with much cooler air behind it, poised......Tags: Weather Warnings, Weather Radar, Disasters, Hurricanes, Weather Reports
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Where's the missing tropical storm?
Maryland WeatherFROM TODAY'S PRINT EDITIONS:Don Dobrow, in Baltimore, wonders why Tropical Storm Maria was described as being the 14th storm of the season: “M is the 13th letter of the alphabet.” It is. But what the National Hurricane Center is counting......Tags: Disasters, Tropical Storm Maria (2011), Natural Disasters, Tropical Storms
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Irene never made landfall in Maryland
Maryland WeatherFROM TODAY'S PRINT EDITIONS:The National Hurricane Center says Irene never made landfall in Maryland. “Landfall” occurs when the storm’s center crosses the coastline. Irene had three in the U.S.– in North Carolina, New Jersey and...Tags: NASA, Hurricanes, Disasters, Natural Disasters
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Big, wet Gulf storm unlucky for all
Maryland WeatherTropical Depression 13 continues to linger off the northern Gulf Coast Friday, with modest winds but formidible rains for the region, and for wherever the storm decides to go next week.Forecaster expect TD13 to reach tropical storm strength later today,.....Tags: Weather Warnings, Hurricanes, Disasters, Tropical Weather, Hurricane Katia (2011)
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Plenty of uncertainty about Katia, Gulf storm
Maryland WeatherThere's plenty of activity in the tropics this morning, but also plenty of uncertainty about where these two storms might pose a threat.The most immediate concern is with the thunderstorms and gusty winds in the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters at......Tags: Atlantic Ocean, Hurricanes, Disasters, Tropical Weather, Hurricane Katia (2011)
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Katia nearly a hurricane; Gulf storm brewing
Maryland WeatherTropical Storm Katia is now producing top sustained winds of 70 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center, and it is expected to reach hurricane force tonight - just the second storm this season to become a hurricane.Meanwhile, another storm......Tags: Cuba, Hurricanes, Disasters, Hurricane Katia (2011), Natural Disasters
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A wet track for the Baltimore Grand Prix?
Maryland WeatherAt the end of a week of deep blue skies, the folks driving the Indy cars in the Baltimore Grand Prix races this weekend may have to contend with some rain on the track. And those in the stands will need to......Tags: Baltimore Grand Prix, Caribbean Islands, Labor Day, Weather Reports, Hurricane Katia (2011)
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Tropical Storm Katia likely to be hurricane in days
Maryland WeatherTropical Depression 12, as forecast, became Tropical Storm Katia overnight. And forecasters at the National Hurricane Center say she will reach hurricane force by late Wednesday or early Thursday.Looking farther down the road, forecast models have Katia...Tags: Maryland, Hurricanes, Disasters, Tropical Weather, Weather Reports
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Maryland Weather: A wet track for the Baltimore Grand Prix?
At the end of a week of deep blue skies, the folks driving the Indy cars in the Baltimore Grand Prix races this weekend may have to contend with some rain on the track. And those in the stands will need to pack rain gear.
The forecast from the National...Tags: Maryland, Baltimore Grand Prix, Caribbean Islands, Labor Day, Weather Reports
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Large and powerful Irene heads for Outer Banks, Maryland resorts
Hurricane Irene, already a 120-mph powerhouse with tropical storm winds 230 miles from its center, was turning toward North Carolina's Outer Banks late Wednesday en route to a very wet and potentially dangerous weekend encounter with Maryland's Eastern...Tags: Maryland, Hurricane Irene (2011), Disasters, Hurricanes, Bahamas
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NWS: Maybe no landfall in Md. for Irene
Maryland WeatherWell, it sure felt like a hurricane struck Maryland last night, but Steve Zubrick, science officer at the National Weather Service's regional forecast office in Sterling, Va. says maybe not, officially.I asked him whether Irene's visit in Maryland last...Tags: Maryland, Hurricanes, Disasters, Tropical Weather, Weather Reports
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Irene downgraded to a tropical storm
Maryland WeatherHurricane Irene, the first hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic season, the first "major" (Cat.3 or higher) storm of the season, and the first to make landfall on the U.S. mainland since 2008, has been downgraded to a tropical storm.The National......Tags: Chesapeake Bay, Weather Warnings, Hurricane Irene (2011), Hurricanes, Disasters
Sep 15, 2011
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Sep 10, 2011
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Sep 2, 2011
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Sep 1, 2011
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Aug 31, 2011
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Aug 30, 2011
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Aug 31, 2011
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Aug 24, 2011
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Aug 28, 2011
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Aug 28, 2011
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