Three Minute Thesis Webinar: Tropical Weather

On January 22, 2021, the NOAA Central Region Collaboration Team hosted a unique webinar focused on tropical weather. Borrowing from a format used by universities across the country, colleagues from NOAA each had one slide and three minutes to present on a specific topic, followed by time for questions from the audience.

View the recording and check out the presentations!

 

Topics and Additional Information

Shirley Murillo - New Technologies for Sampling Hurricanes
Shirley shared exciting information on new technologies for sampling hurricanes, including Doppler Wind Lidar, Un-crewed areal system: Altius-600, and uncrewed ocean hurricane gliders. Learn more about all of the efforts and more captivating work of NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory - Hurricane Research Division and the NOAA hurricane gliders successful 2020 hurricane season.
 

John Cangialosi - Three Questions that Guide Hurricane Forecasting
Hurricanes are among nature’s most powerful and destructive phenomena. On average, 12 tropical storms, 6 of which become hurricanes over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico during the hurricane season which runs from June 1 to November 30 each year. Once a storm has formed, forecasters work hard to issue advisory products at least every 6 hours and then every 3 hours once watches and warnings are in effect. Build your awareness of hurricane safety, watches and warnings, as well as guidance on planning for, taking action, and recovering from the storms.  
 

Jamie Rhome - Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season
There are many major hazards associated with hurricanes that pose significant threats to life and property along the coast - and even inland! These include storm surge and storm tide, heavy rainfall and inland flooding, high winds, rip currents, and tornadoes. Increase your understanding of each hazard and learn more as well as how to best prepare for these hazards.
 

Jennifer Hubbard - Tropical Weather Decision Support Services
Decision support services provide relevant information and interpretive services to enable core partners to make decisions on planning for significant weather, water, and climate events to help build community resilience and support a Weather Ready Nation. The National Weather Service (NWS) provides many types of resources to help decision makers, one example is the southern region tropical page, which provides access to the latest local information for each NWS Weather Forecast Office from the Gulf States all the way to New England! 
 

Dennis Feltgen - Selling the Hurricane Story - Know Your Audience
The importance of effective communication cannot be overstated when tropical weather starts to threaten the U.S. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) provides several places people can turn to for trusted information on the latest forecasts, potential impacts, and recommended actions. These include:

You can also view a Facebook Live broadcast covering 2020's Hurricane Laura to experience for yourself a valuable communication tool the NHC uses to reach the public, in addition to their reach with over 1.9 million Facebook followers!  
 

Kyle Ward  - After the Storm… How NOAA Helps Re-Open Ports
Created by Thomas Jefferson in 1807, NOAA's Office of Coast Survey is the nation's nautical chart-maker. They play a crucial role after tropical storms in the effort to re-open ports as quickly as possible by surveying the seafloor, updating charts, and searching for underwater obstructions that pose a danger to navigators. Learn more by getting to know your region's Navigation Manager and Navigation Response Teams. 
 

Michael Jepson - Disasters R Us? NOAA Fisheries and Disaster Assessment
Fisheries are subject to a number of factors that can cause sudden and unexpected losses, leading to serious economic impact for fishers and their communities. NOAA Fisheries administer disaster assistance under two statutes, working closely with state officials, Congress, and the Secretary of Commerce. Check out these frequent questions to learn more about a number of topics related to fishery disaster assistance.
 

LCDR Becky Shaw - Hurricane Hunters on a Record Breaking Season
NOAA Hurricane Hunters play an integral role in hurricane forecasting. Learn more about these specially equipped NOAA aircraft which serve as high-flying meteorological stations allowing forecasters to make accurate predictions during a hurricane and help researchers better understand storms and improve forecast models. Fly along with the NOAA Hurricane Hunter with this video for a first-hand experience!