About the National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center is located on the campus of
Florida International University in
Southwestern Miami-Dade county in Miami, Florida.
Here are directions to the Center. The
National Weather Service Miami Weather
Forecast Office is co-located with us.
Here's a brief
history of the National Weather Service in Miami, Florida.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is a component of the
National Centers for Environmental
Prediction (NCEP) located at
Florida International University in Miami,
Florida. The NHC mission is to save lives, mitigate property loss, and
improve economic efficiency by issuing the best watches, warnings, forecasts
and analyses of hazardous tropical weather, and by increasing understanding
of these hazards. The NHC vision is to be America's calm, clear and trusted
voice in the eye of the storm and, with its partners, enable communities to
be safe from tropical weather threats.
Through international agreement, the NHC has responsibility within the
World Meteorological Organization
to generate and coordinate tropical
cyclone analysis and forecast products for twenty-four countries in the
Americas, Caribbean, and for the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean,
Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern North Pacific Ocean. NHC
products are distributed through a close working relationship with the
media and emergency management communities.
To meet its mission the NHC is composed of three branches.
The National
Hurricane Center (NHC) maintains a continuous watch on tropical cyclones
from 15 May in the eastern Pacific and 1 June in the Atlantic through
November 30. The Center prepares and issues forecasts, watches and
warnings within text advisories and graphical products. Although many
countries issue their own warnings, they generally base them on direct
discussions with, and guidance from, the NHC. During the "off-season",
the NHC conducts an extensive outreach and education program, training
U.S. emergency managers and representatives from many other countries
affected by tropical cyclones.
The Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (TAFB)
provides year-round
marine weather analysis and forecast products over the tropical and
subtropical waters of the eastern North and South Pacific and the North
Atlantic basin. The branch also produces satellite-based weather
interpretation and rainfall estimates for the international community.
The TAFB provides support to NHC through manpower and tropical cyclone
position and intensity estimates based on the Dvorak technique.
The Technical Support Branch (TSB)
provides support for NHC computer and
communications systems. The TSB also maintains a small applied research
and techniques development unit which develops tools for hurricane and
tropical weather analysis and prediction. TSB also has a storm surge
group which provides information for developing evacuation procedures
for coastal areas.
The NHC collaborates with universities, government research laboratories,
international tropical weather centers, the private sector and other
National Weather Service components to maintain its leading edge in
tropical meteorology through coordinated operations, research, training
and forecast development techniques.
For general questions and information about the NHC or its branches
please contact:
National Hurricane Center
11691 S.W. 17th Street
Miami, Florida 33165-2149
(305) 229-4470
NOAA Public Affairs Officer:
NHC Public Affairs
nhc.public.affairs@noaa.gov
(305) 229-4404
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