Highlights
The National Hurricane Center is responsible for tracking tropical systems in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and providing watches and warnings when storms threaten land areas. Its ultimate mission is to save lives and help protect property. The hurricane center is located on the campus of Florida International University in western Miami-Dade County. Jurisdictionally speaking, it falls under the National Weather Service, which comes under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA, in turn, answers to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The center has 10 primary tropical meteorologists, who are called hurricane specialists. During the Atlantic hurricane season, f...
The National Hurricane Center is responsible for tracking tropical systems in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and providing watches and warnings when storms threaten land areas. Its ultimate mission is to save lives and help protect property. The hurricane center is located on the campus of Florida International University in western Miami-Dade County. Jurisdictionally speaking, it falls under the National Weather Service, which comes under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA, in turn, answers to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The center has 10 primary tropical meteorologists, who are called hurricane specialists. During the Atlantic hurricane season, from June 1 through Nov. 30, they write advisories any time a system strengthens into a tropical depression. Once a system develops sustained winds of 39 mph, it is designated a tropical storm and given a name. A tropical storm becomes a hurricane with sustained winds of 74 mph. Advisories, which provide a storm's strength, position and projected track, are written every six hours, released at 5 a.m. and 11 a.m., and at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern time. They are provided more often when a storm is approaching land. Hurricane specialists rely heavily on computer models for guidance on how to craft their advisories. The models, in turn, are fed atmospheric information derived from satellites, radar, ocean buoys and reconnaissance aircraft. Historically speaking, tracking tropical storms was originally the responsibility of the National Weather Service in Miami, Florida. As of 1965, the Miami weather office established the National Hurricane Center as part of its internal workings. In 1984, the hurricane center was broken out as its own entity. It had been housed in a building on the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables and later in a building across the street from the university before it moved into its current facility in 1995. In its history, the hurricane center has had nine directors: Gordon Dunn (1965-1967) Robert Simpson (1967-1973) Neil Frank (1973-1987) Bob Sheets (1987-1995) Bob Burpee (1996-1997) Jerry Jarrell (1998-2000) Max Mayfield (2000-2007) Bill Proenza (2007) In 2007, the center experienced internal tumult, shortly after Proenza was installed as director. Proenza angered his superiors when he publicly warned the inevitable demise of a weather satellite would cause hurricane forecasts to suffer. At the same time, he alienated many on his staff, who felt he had undermined public confidence in the center. Despite support from some members of Congress, Proenza was removed from the position after only seven months on the job. He was later returned to his previous job as head of the National Weather Service Southern Region in Fort Worth, Texas. Currently, NOAA is in the process of selecting a new director. Ed Rappaport, the center's deputy director, has been named acting director in the interim.
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Tropical Storm Sean says don't forget it's still hurricane season
A tropical storm watch was issued for Bermuda on Tuesday ahead of newly formed Tropical Storm Sean, forecasters said. Sean formed early Tuesday, midway between Bermuda and the Bahamas, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. As of midday Tuesday,...Tags: Weather, Hurricanes, Disasters, Natural Disasters, Tropical Storms
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Hurricane Irene Is Just Wakin' Up
KIAHThe powerful hurricane Irene is churning up strength in the Atlantic and has her eyes set on the southeast tip of the U.S. The first hurricane of the season, Irene is making her way through the Caribbean and is currently north of the Dominican Republic....Tags: Hurricanes, Disasters, Florida, Disasters and Accidents, Natural Disasters
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Hurricane Alex Makes Landfall
KIAHThe western eye wall of Hurricane Alex has made landfall in an unpopulated area of the Mexican coast about 100 miles south of the U.S. and Mexico border. The National Hurricane Center reports that Alex strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane, tonight,...Tags: Hurricanes, Mexico, Disasters, Natural Disasters, Meteorological Disasters
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Gustav Hits New Orleans
Seven storm-related deaths were reported as Monday. Gustav delivered only a glancing blow to New Orleans, three years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. There was damage elsewhere in Louisiana. A levee in the southeast part of the state is on...Tags: Hurricanes, Louisiana, Disasters, Hurricane Katrina (2005), Natural Disasters
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Looking Back & Moving Forward After Hurricane Season
After six busy months, the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season is officially over. It's one most Houstonians won't forget. To mark the end, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett spoke about lessons learned on Monday. Emmett says many of those lessons were taught...Tags: Hurricanes, Judges, Disasters, Natural Disasters, Justice System
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Weakened Ida Heads for Florida
KIAHDAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. (AP) - Tropical Storm Ida sloshed ashore with rain and gusty winds Tuesday before weakening to a depression, leaving weather-hardened Gulf Coast residents largely unscathed. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Ida's...Tags: Mississippi, Tropical Weather, Meteorological Disasters, Alabama, Tropical Storm Ida (2009)
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Hurricane Season Is Upon Us....
KIAHHurricane Season officially begins Monday June 1st, and its time to prepare once again. In fact, this week has been dubbed Hurricane Preparedness Week by the National Weather Service. It is an effort to remind everyone the shear power and devastation a...Tags: Weather, Hurricanes, Disasters, Natural Disasters, Tropical Weather
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What's Going On In The Gulf... It's Only May!
KIAHThis past week, you might have heard Chief Keith or myself talking about a developing storm over Cuba, which might have some tropical characteristics. What's going on... It's May right? The season doesn't even start until June 1st! On occassion, you...Tags: Hurricanes, Disasters, Florida, Natural Disasters, Cuba
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Hurricane Bill revs up at sea on path to Bermuda
KIAHMIAMI (AP) - The first hurricane of this year's Atlantic season was gaining strength far off in the ocean Monday, while the Florida Panhandle and Alabama were soaked by the remnants of a weakening tropical storm. Hurricane Bill was expected to become a...Tags: Mississippi, Tropical Weather, Caribbean Islands, Meteorological Disasters, Atlantic Ocean
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The Tropical Season Is Back
KIAHThe Channel 39 Weather blog is back, after a couple weeks off. The tropics are back too, showing some real life for the first time this season. As of this morning, Tropical Depression Two has formed in the eastern Atlantic. The system, per quick glance...Tags: Weather, Hurricanes, Disasters, Natural Disasters, Meteorological Disasters
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Getting Ready for Hurricane Season
KIAHHurricane Ike is still fresh on the minds of many Houstonians, but now its time to look forward and get ready for another hurricane season. Preparations were the theme Saturday morning at the 2009 Hurricane Workshop at the George R. Brown Convention...Tags: Weather, Hurricanes, Disasters, Natural Disasters, Tropical Weather
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Disturbance off Florida could become Tropical Storm Beryl
Sun SentinelThe tropical disturbance off Florida’s east coast likely will grow into a tropical depression or storm over the weekend and possibly as soon as Friday. As of 3 p.m. on Friday, the National Hurricane Center gave the broad area of low pressure an...Tags: Hurricanes, Miami (Miami-Dade, Florida), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Natural Disasters, Disasters and Accidents
Nov 8, 2011
|Story| CNN
Aug 23, 2011
|Story| KIAH-LTV
Jun 30, 2010
|Story| KIAH-LTV
Sep 1, 2008
|Story| KIAH-LTV
Dec 2, 2008
|Story| KIAH-LTV
Nov 10, 2009
|Story| KIAH-LTV
May 26, 2009
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May 19, 2009
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Aug 17, 2009
|Story| KIAH-LTV
Aug 11, 2009
|Story| KIAH-LTV
May 30, 2009
|Story| KIAH-LTV
May 25, 2012
|Story| South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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