Skip Navigation Links
NOAA NOAA United States Department of Commerce

Public Information Statement


US41 KWBC 231158
PNSWSH
 
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
 
$$