Hurricane Forecasters Will Issue Storm Surge Graphics in 2015

(TNS) — As promised, starting next season, hurricane forecasters will begin issuing watch and warning graphics not just for hurricanes and their potential paths, but also for storm surge, by far the biggest killer, more so than rain-driven flooding or high winds.

Surges often can strike well before or after landfall, and sometimes far from the point of impact; sometimes outside even the storm’s wind field.

“While most coastal residents can remain in their homes and be safe from a tropical cyclone’s winds, evacuations are generally needed to keep people safe from storm surge. Having separate warnings for these two hazards should provide emergency managers, the media, and the general public better guidance on the hazards they face when tropical cyclones threaten,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday in a press release.

The graphic will be experimental for at least two years, while the government gets real-time experience and feedback from the media and public.

Last year, the National Hurricane Center began using an experimental potential storm surge flooding map. It plans to combine usual storm watches and warnings with storm surge advisories starting in 2016.

©2014 The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Fla.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.