Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/233313
SPECIAL / REPORT By February 2013, many residents in the Northeast had begun repairing or rebuilding damaged homes. Many, like this home in Sea Bright, NJ, are being raised to higher levels: a classis storm surge mitigation technique. Photo: Sharon Karr/FEMA tem by the tail Doppler radar attached to NOAA's P3 Hurricane Hunter aircraft, data which are expected to produce even greater forecast improvements. This change lays the foundation for further computing enhancements and more accurate forecast models that are within reach over the next three years. • These enhancements are a result of the Sandy Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provide NOAA with unprecedented opportunities to strengthen NWS. The Act provides $48 million in supplemental funding for Sandy recovery efforts and to improve response and recovery capability for future weather events. The funding will allow the NWS to make critical improvements in several areas that will enable more accurate, consistent and longer lead time forecasts in advance of high-impact weather events. Storm Surge Modeling. Storm surge created some of Sandy's most devastating impacts. To forecast storm surge, the NHC uses the SLOSH (Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) model. Thanks to 22 increased computer speeds, NHC is able to run more model scenarios than in the past, providing a better picture of potential surges. Beginning in 2014, NHC will introduce an experimental inundation graphic onto its Web site. This graphic will depict the height of water above ground from an approaching tropical or post-tropical cyclone. Beginning in 2015, NWS will implement watches and warnings explicitly for the storm surge hazard. It was the storm surge hazard that caused numerous fatalities and most of the damage with Sandy, as well as the extensive evacuations necessary to prevent an even larger loss of life. Weather Ready Sandy was one of the most unusual and challenging storms in recent history, and its impacts still are being felt by those who suffered the most from its devastation. By focusing on what they have learned, NOAA and NWS are working to build a Weather-Ready Nation: a Nation in which people are prepared to deal with high-impact weather, water and climate events. STORM & SECURITY PROTECTION / IBS PREVIEW 2014