Florida Products
Observing and Predicting Storms
Helping scientists improve prediction capabilities has to be a top
priority of any hazard mitigation strategy. The Coastal Storms Program,
therefore, strived to bring new tools and data to help this ongoing
effort in coastal Florida.
Improved Ocean and Weather Observations
Mariners, weather forecasters, and coastal scientists will appreciate
the improved oceanographic and meteorological observations that
are now available from the nation's ocean data collection
systems. Upgraded water-level sensors allow mariners to navigate
safely into and out of the nation's ports. These observations,
which are now available, become critical when storms are imminent.
Predicting Winds, Waves, and Flooding
While observations of winds, waves, water levels, and precipitation
are important, much more goes into predicting weather patterns than
just good observations. NOAA National Weather Service worked hard
to develop two localized models. These higher-resolution models
zoom in on the pilot area to better predict local weather phenomena
like fog (WRF model) and nearshore wave height (SWAN model). To
learn more about weather prediction in the pilot area, visit this
project description.