October 16, 2002 — Emergency preparedness managers, meteorologists and the general public now have a powerful new instrument to explore more than 150 years (1851-2001) of tropical cyclone information for the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Specifically, the National Weather Service’s Tropical Prediction Center/National Hurricane Center and NOAA's Coastal Services Center partnered to develop the “Historical Hurricanes Mapping & Analysis Tool,” an Internet-based application that allows the search and display of detailed tropical cyclone data and coastal population trends. The application couples NHC Atlantic Best Track tropical cyclone data with Internet-based, interactive and customizable display and analysis capabilities utilizing innovative geographic information system (GIS or spatial data) software and database technologies. The tool can be accessed online and is simple enough for the general public to use yet contains useful information for researchers and emergency preparedness officials. The original site was launched on May 20, 2002, in conjunction with the 2002 National Hurricane Awareness Week (May 19-25, 2002). Several updates to the tool are planned for the upcoming year, including expansion to the Pacific basin and a Version 2.0 is scheduled for release next May, in concert with the 2003 National Hurricane Awareness Week. (Click NOAA image for a larger view.)

Purpose
Linking users with information about historical storm events in their area allows emergency managers, researchers and the public to better understand: 1) the history of tropical cyclones in their area, 2) the overall climatology of tropical cyclones for different areas within the Atlantic Basin (i.e., Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico) and 3) the problems faced by increasing coastal population from landfalling hurricanes and tropical storms. As a result, they are able to evaluate their potential risks and plan for future response efforts in the event another storm threatens their area. (Click NOAA image for a larger view.)

Selection Criteria
Plotting historical tropical cyclones doesn’t require special software. Any user with an Internet connection and capable Web-browsing software can use the tool. The application allows users to search and display tropical cyclone data from 1851 to 2001 simply by entering the location of interest (i.e., U.S. ZIP code, U.S. state, county or latitude and longitude) along with a series of storm parameters (i.e., date [single or multiple years or months], intensity [Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Category], and distance of passage from a specific location). Not only does the application plot the storms that meet the user’s selected criteria, but it also permits downloading of the entire tropical cyclone data set (1851-2001) in a common geographic information systems (GIS) format accompanied by Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) compliant metadata. For example, if a Category 2 hurricane, based on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, is approaching an area, the user could find out how many, if any, Category 2 hurricanes have impacted that area in the past.

Accompanying Web Site
The accompanying Web site also offers a Coastal Population tool (which allows users to select and display—for the first time—population growth vs. hurricane strikes for coastal counties from Texas to Maine); Storm Reports (detailed text reports on the life history and impact of Atlantic tropical cyclones from 1958 to 2001); and links to important tropical-cyclone resources:

• Coastal Population: The coastal population tool allows users to select and display population growth (1900-2000) versus hurricane strikes (1900-1998) for coastal counties from Texas to Maine. Knowing how many people live, work, and vacation in coastal communities is imperative for planning and conducting emergency response and recovery activities. As populations increase in hazard-prone areas, the protection of people, property and resources becomes even more critical. Seeing population and storm data juxtaposed is a significant improvement that will help minimize uncertainties and empower communities to become better prepared to deal with meteorological hazards (since the more you know about past tropical cyclones the better you can prepare for the future).
  
• Storm Reports: The Storm Reports page allows users to select and view tropical cyclone reports from the NHC. These reports summarize the life history and effects of both Atlantic or eastern Pacific tropical cyclones. Staff members at the NHC write a report for each tropical cyclone that occurs within the Center's area of responsibility. The report includes a summary of the cyclone life cycle and pertinent meteorological data (including the post-analysis best track with six-hourly positions and intensities and other meteorological statistics), a description of damage and casualties produced by the system, and information on forecasts and warnings associated with the cyclone. Users can search for reports dating back to 1958, simply by entering the appropriate data and storm name as indicated on this site.

Future Improvements
There are plans to expand the application's scope and functionality during the upcoming federal fiscal year (October 1, 2002 to September 30, 2003). Not only will the database be updated annually with new storms from the previous year and any adjustments to the parent (Best Track) database (e.g., the recent upgrade of Hurricane Andrew from Category 4 to 5 at landfall), but there are plans to expand the tool’s coverage into the Pacific Basin and incorporate additional functionality. One of the enhancements will allow users to download user-selected storm tracks in GIS shapefile format (in addition to the entire database). Another enhancement under consideration is the creation of textual reports based on user query results (e.g., generating a report listing all storms in the view and some of their characteristics, such as maximum intensity, etc.).

Conclusion
The Historical Hurricanes Mapping and Analysis Tool will: 1) help scientists research storm-related subjects and detect storm trends; 2) assist emergency preparedness officials make critical outreach and planning decisions and 3) satisfy everyone’s natural curiosity about the dynamic nature of hurricanes. Furthermore, by linking the public with information about historical storm events in their area, this tool aids NOAA’s National Hurricane Awareness Initiative in achieving its goal of "educating the public about hurricane hazards while providing them with knowledge that can be used to take action."

The initiative has already been praised for bringing together useful information to a wide range of users (i.e., government agencies, public officials, weather forecasters, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. representatives, the media and the public).

Relevant Web Sites
Historical Hurricanes Mapping & Analysis Tool

NOAA CREATES HISTORICAL DATABASE ON 150 YEARS OF ATLANTIC HURRICANES

2002 National Hurricane Awareness Week

NOAA's Coastal Services Center

NOAA's National Hurricane Center — Get the latest advisories here

NOAA's Atlantic Hurricanes Database — 150 Years of Atlantic Hurricanes

El Niño Expected to Impact Atlantic Hurricane Season, NOAA Reports

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

NOAA's Hurricanes Page

NOAA's Storm Watch — Get the latest severe weather information across the USA

Media Contact:
Frank Lepore, NOAA's National Hurricane Center, (305) 229-4404 or David Miller, NOAA, (202) 482-6090