| Public Information Statement National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC 750 AM EDT Fri May 23 2014 To: Subscribers: -Family of Services -NOAA Weather Wire Service -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network -NOAAPORT Other NWS Partners, and NWS Employees From: Mark Tew Chief, Marine and Coastal Weather Services Branch Subject: Soliciting comments for Experimental Potential Storm Surge Flooding Map through November 30, 2014 Effective June 1, 2014 and continuing through November 30, 2014, the NWS is seeking user feedback on experimental Potential Storm Surge Flooding Map issued by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Developed over the course of several years in consultation with emergency managers, broadcast meteorologists, and others, this new map will show: - Geographical areas where inundation from storm surge could occur - How high above ground the water could reach in those areas Areas of flooding on the map are represented in different colors based on water level: Blue: up to 3 feet above ground Yellow: greater than 3 feet above ground Orange: greater than 6 feet above ground Red: greater than 9 feet above ground The map does not take into account wave action, freshwater flooding from rainfall, flooding inside levees and overtopping of levees. The initial map will usually be issued at the same time as the initial hurricane watch or, in some cases, a tropical storm watch, for any portion of the Gulf or East Coast of the United States. The map is based on the latest forecast track and intensity for the tropical cyclone, and takes into account likely forecast errors. In association with every new NHC full advisory package, the map is subject to change every 6 hours. Due to the processing time required to generate the storm surge guidance and produce the map, it will be available about 60 minutes following advisory release. The map represents a reasonable estimate of worst-case scenario flooding of normally dry land at particular locations due to storm surge. There is a 1-in-10 chance that the storm surge flooding at any particular location could be higher than the values shown on the map. The map is created from multiple runs of the Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) model. Additional information and examples of the map can be found online at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/experimental/inundation The map will be available on the NHC website at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/cyclones Users are encouraged to provide feedback on this new experimental product by using the brief survey and comment form available on line at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/survey/nws-survey.php?code=PSSFM For technical questions regarding this notice, please contact: Jamie Rhome National Hurricane Center Storm Surge Team Lead Miami, FL 33165 Telephone: 305-229-4444 Email: Jamie.R.Rhome@noaa.gov For policy questions regarding this notice, please contact: John Kuhn NWS Marine and Coastal Weather Services Branch Silver Spring, MD 20910 Telephone: 301-713-1677 X121 Email: John.F.Kuhn@noaa.gov National Public Information Statements are online at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/notif.htm $$ |