Hurricane Irma - Blog Posts

Hurricanes Have No Place to Hide, Thanks to Better Satellite Forecasts

If you’ve ever looked at a hurricane forecast, you’re probably familiar with “cones of uncertainty,” the funnel-shaped maps showing a hurricane’s predicted path. Thirty years ago, a hurricane forecast five days before it made landfall might have a cone of uncertainty covering most of the East Coast. The result? A great deal of uncertainty about who should evacuate, where it was safe to go, and where to station emergency responders and their equipment.

Over the years, hurricane forecasters have succeeded in shrinking the cone of uncertainty for hurricane tracks, with the help of data from satellites. Polar-orbiting satellites, which fly nearly directly above the North and South Poles, are especially important in helping cut down on forecast error.

The orbiting electronic eyeballs key to these improvements: the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) fleet. A collaborative effort between NOAA and NASA, the satellites circle Earth, taking crucial measurements that inform the global, regional and specialized forecast models that have been so critical to hurricane track forecasts.

The forecast successes keep rolling in. From Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in 2017 through Hurricanes Florence and Michael in 2018, improved forecasts helped manage coastlines, which translated into countless lives and property saved. In September 2018, with the help of this data, forecasters knew a week ahead of time where and when Hurricane Florence would hit. Early warnings were precise enough that emergency planners could order evacuations in time — with minimal road clogging.  The evacuations that did not have to take place, where residents remained safe from the hurricane’s fury, were equally valuable.

The satellite benefits come even after the storms make landfall. Using satellite data, scientists and forecasters monitor flooding and even power outages. Satellite imagery helped track power outages in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and in the Key West area after Hurricane Irma, which gave relief workers information about where the power grid was restored – and which regions still lacked electricity. 

Flood maps showed the huge extent of flooding from Hurricane Harvey and were used for weeks after the storm to monitor changes and speed up recovery decisions and the deployment of aid and relief teams.

As the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season kicks off, the JPSS satellites, NOAA-20 and Suomi-NPP, are ready to track hurricanes and tropical cyclones as they form, intensify and travel across the ocean – our eyes in the sky for severe storms. 

For more about JPSS, follow @JPSSProgram on Twitter and facebook.com/JPSS.Program, or @NOAASatellites on Twitter and facebook.com/NOAASatellites.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.

We're using our unique vantage point in space to provide observations and data of Hurricane Irma and other tropical storms. Hurricanes Irma and Jose are seen here in a 12-hour long infrared loop. Scientists monitor storms in infrared to closely monitor clouds and storm intensity. We continue to provide satellite imagery for these storms, tracking its trajectory, force and precipitation to inform forecasters at the National Hurricane Center.

As these storms continue their westward drive in the coming days, they will be passing over waters that are warmer than 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit)—hot enough to sustain a category 5 storm. Warm oceans, along with low wind shear, are two key ingredients that fuel and sustain hurricanes. Get the latest imagery and data from us at www.nasa.gov/hurricane For information on making preparations for Hurricanes, visit the FEMA website at: ready.gov/hurricanes. Credit: NASA-SPoRT/NOAA 

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.

My publisher, Future Horizons, has this free social stories piece written by Carol Gray specifically for victims of hurricane Harvey, but also applies to Irma. Grab it and share it if you feel it will help. Esp helpful for parents.

Read it? Tell me your thoughts.

The Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos Islands

Turks and Caicos mainly consist of the Turks islands that are relatively smaller than the Caicos Islands. They are popularly known as TCI in short. Turks and Caicos fall under the British overseas territory and are very famous vacation destinations for tourists from around the world.

The most popular locality in the islands is Providenciales which is the hub of all…

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To those who decided to stick it out

To those who have decided to stick out through Irma down here, good luck. Remember to stay safe and to stay smart. We don't need to loose anymore people to this storm.

In my home in Broward County, Florida getting ready for Hurricane Irma to hit. Just brought all of my lawn furniture inside and now it’s time to chill, smoke a little and try to prepare my mind for what’s coming….

Much love to everyone with me in Florida right now and everyone else around the world experiencing these weather catastrophes first hand.

And I also have to mention this: thank you so much tumblr because I just started getting my iTunes payments for my album sales this morning and I’m currently using that money to stock up on as much food for myself and my pets as possible and it couldn’t have been better timing. As a starving artist, I was not prepared for this hurricane. Almost all those album sales were from people here on Tumblr. You guys are literally saving my life.