Coastal Services Center

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Florida Products

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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.