GOES-16, the most advanced weather satellite NOAA has ever developed

GOES-16's Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) captured this electrifying imagery of the lightning associated with the recent severe weather over the Mississippi Valley and southern Plains
The animation begins at approximately noon on Friday, April 28, 2017, and ends at midnight on Saturday, April, 29.


https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/GLM.2.midwest%20storms.mp4


GOES-16, the most advanced weather satellite NOAA has ever developed, will be moved to the GOES-East position once it is declared operational in November. NOAA officials announced the decision regarding GOES-16’s placement earlier today, during the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook news conference at NOAA’s Center for Weather and Climate Prediction in College Park, Maryland.

“GOES-16 will be placed in the east position where it can observe the entire continental U.S., and monitor areas most vulnerable to tornadoes, floods, land-falling tropical storms, hurricanes and other severe storms,” said Stephen Volz, Ph.D., director, NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service. To read more about GOES-16’s placement, visit the NOAA.gov website.

National Weather Service Releases the 2017 Hurricane Outlook

The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 through November 30 and, based on this year’s outlook, forecasters predict a 70 percent likelihood of 11 to 17 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those named storms, 5 to 9 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 2 to 4 major hurricanes (category 3, 4, or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher).


The Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1 and typically ends November 30, is almost upon us. Here’s an introduction to three of the terms you’re likely to hear during this potentially stormy period.

The eye, along with the eye wall and the rainbands are the most notable features of a hurricane.

The eye, or center, or a hurricane is a relatively calm area typically 20 to 40 miles in diameter. Eyes may be clear or cloudy, but they are usually clear during periods of rapid storm intensification (storms with eyes usually have wind speeds higher than 85 knots). Cloudy eyes are often indicative that a storm is past its peak intensity.

The eye wall is a dense wall of thunderstorms surrounding the eye and is the most intense part of a hurricane in terms of wind and rain. Changes in the structure of the eye and eyewall can cause changes in the wind speed, which is an indicator of the storm's intensity.

A storm's outer rainbands—which consist of dense bands of thunderstorms—can extend hundreds of miles from the center. Typically, they range from 50 to 300 miles long. According to forecasters, the curvature of the rainbands provides a clue to a storm’s intensity. In general, the more curved the rainbands, the more intense the storm. The size of a hurricane can vary widely, it is important to note that a storm’s size is not an indication of its intensity.


Hurricane Disasters: Calculating the Damage

Hurricanes and other weather disasters can cause billions of dollars of damage. During 2016, Americans experienced 15 weather disasters costing more than $1 billion dollars each—the second highest number of events since 1980. Insurers have their own plans to help them cover losses resulting from severe weather. These back-up plans are known as “reinsurance.”

The best time to prepare for a hurricane is before hurricane season begins on June 1. It is vital to understand your home's vulnerability to storm surge, flooding, and wind. Here is your checklist of things to do BEFORE hurricane seasons begins.

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• Know your zone: Do you live near the Gulf or Atlantic Coasts? Find out if you live in a hurricane evacuation area by contacting your local government/emergency management office or by checking the evacuation site website.
• Put Together an Emergency Kit: Put together a basic emergency. Check emergency equipment, such as flashlights, generators and storm shutters.
• Write or review your Family Emergency Plan: Before an emergency happens, sit down with your family or close friends and decide how you will get in contact with each other, where you will go, and what you will do in an emergency. Keep a copy of this plan in your emergency supplies kit or another safe place where you can access it in the event of a disaster. Start at the Ready.Gov emergency plan webpage.
• Review Your Insurance Policies: Review your insurance policies to ensure that you have adequate coverage for your home and personal property.
• Understand NWS forecast products, especially the meaning of NWS watches and warnings.

Hurricane Hazards
While hurricanes pose the greatest threat to life and property, tropical storms and depression also can be devastating. The primary hazards from tropical cyclones (which include tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes) are storm surge flooding, inland flooding from heavy rains, destructive winds, tornadoes, and high surf and rip currents.

• Storm surge is the abnormal rise of water generated by a storm's winds. This hazard is historically the leading cause of hurricane related deaths in the United States. Storm surge and large battering waves can result in large loss of life and cause massive destruction along the coast.
• Storm surge can travel several miles inland, especially along bays, rivers, and estuaries.
• Flooding from heavy rains is the second leading cause of fatalities from landfalling tropical cyclones. Widespread torrential rains associated with these storms often cause flooding hundreds of miles inland. This flooding can persist for several days after a storm has dissipated.
• Winds from a hurricane can destroy buildings and manufactured homes. Signs, roofing material, and other items left outside can become flying missiles during hurricanes.
• Tornadoes can accompany landfalling tropical cyclones. These tornadoes typically occur in rain bands well away from the center of the storm.
• Dangerous waves produced by a tropical cyclone's strong winds can pose a significant hazard to coastal residents and mariners. These waves can cause deadly rip currents, significant beach erosion, and damage to structures along the coastline, even when the storm is more than a 1,000 miles offshore.