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-------- Original Message --------469 NOUS41 KWBC 171928
PNSWSH
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
230 PM EST WED FEB 17 2010
TO: SUBSCRIBERS:
-FAMILY OF SERVICES
-NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
-EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
-NOAAPORT
OTHER NWS PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: THERESE Z. PIERCE
MARINE AND COASTAL SERVICES BRANCH CHIEF
SUBJECT: NEW SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE
IS IMPLEMENTED FOR THE 2010 HURRICANE SEASON
THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER /NHC/...THE CENTRAL PACIFIC
HURRICANE CENTER /CPHC/...AND NWS FORECAST OFFICES WILL BEGIN
USING A NEW SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE /SSHWS/ THIS
HURRICANE SEASON. THE NEW SCALE WILL NOT PROVIDE PRE-ESTABLISHED
STORM SURGE AND FLOODING IMPACTS TO CATEGORIZE HURRICANES...AS
WERE PROVIDED IN THE ORIGINAL SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE
FROM 1975.
STORM SURGE VALUES ARE DEPENDENT ON A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF A STORM/S SIZE...INTENSITY...MOTION...BAROMETRIC PRESSURE...THE DEPTH OF NEARSHORE WATERS...AND LOCAL TOPOGRAPHY. TO HELP REDUCE CONFUSION ABOUT THE IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE HURRICANE CATEGORIES...THE STORM SURGE RANGES...CENTRAL PRESSURE RANGES AND FLOODING IMPACT STATEMENTS WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE NEW SCALE. WHEN APPROPRIATE DIRECT ESTIMATES OF INUNDATION ARE COMMUNICATED IN EACH NATIONAL CENTER/S TROPICAL CYCLONE PUBLIC ADVISORY PRODUCTS AND IN WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENTS.
THE NEW SSHWS CONTAINS THE SAME WIND SPEED RANGES FOR EACH OF THE FIVE CATEGORIES OF HURRICANES IN THE ORIGINAL SCALE. THE NEW SCALE PROVIDES UPDATED DEFINITIONS OF DAMAGE AND IMPACTS DEVELOPED IN ASSOCIATION WITH HIGHLY RESPECTED WIND SCIENTISTS FROM ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY...AND INCLUDES HISTORICAL EXAMPLES. FOR THE ATLANTIC AND EASTERN PACIFIC HURRICANE BASINS...THE NEW SSHWS IS PROVIDED ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/ABOUTSSHS.SHTMLTHE DAMAGE AND IMPACT STATEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES. THE NHC IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL METEOROLOGICAL DECISIONS CONCERNING FORECASTING OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL SYSTEMS FOR THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN...NORTH OF THE EQUATOR FROM 140 DEGREES WEST TO 180 DEGREES WEST LONGITUDE.
FOR THE CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE BASIN...THE NEW SSHWS IS PROVIDED ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.PRH.NOAA.GOV/CPHC/PAGES/ABOUTSSHS.PHPTHE DAMAGE AND IMPACT STATEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO LAND AREAS IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC. THE CPHC IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL METEOROLOGICAL DECISIONS CONCERNING FORECASTING OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL SYSTEMS FOR THE PACIFIC OCEAN NORTH OF THE EQUATOR FROM 140 DEGREES WEST TO 180 DEGREES WEST LONGITUDE. THE EASTERN PACIFIC HURRICANE SEASON BEGINS ON MAY 15. THE ATLANTIC AND CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE SEASONS BEGIN ON JUNE 1. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS...PLEASE CONTACT:
DR. CHRISTOPHER LANDSEA SCIENCE OPERATIONS OFFICER NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER 11691 S.W. 17TH STREETMIAMI FLORIDA 33165 305-229-4446
CHRIS.LANDSEA@xxxxxxxx DR.RICHARD KNABB DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER 2525 CORREA ROAD HONOLULU HAWAII 98822 808-973-5273 RICHARD.KNABB@xxxxxxxxNATIONAL PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS AND SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM $$
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