Hurricanes, or Atlantic tropical storms, are rapidly-rotating storm systems that all have a low-pressure center, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement. These meteorological beasts generally form over large bodies of warm water. The energy that drives hurricanes is derived from the evaporation of water from the ocean surface that cools and condenses into clouds. The strong winds and rotating storm is the result of partial conservation of angular momentum from Earth's rotation and the actual air flow. These storms bring heavy rains and storm surges where ever they decided to pass over.
Ultimately (with no more physics thrown into the mix), hurricanes have the potential to leave a wake of destruction following their path. Because hurricanes cause so much damage and can displace so many people from their home, it is vital to prepare in the event that a hurricane forms.
Luckily, our friends at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have a model that analyzes the potential storm surge effects of a hurricane. This grand model used for emergency preparation is called Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes, or SLOSH (so fitting, right?). This model has three data ouputs: Maximum of Maximums (MoM's), Maximum Envelop of Water (MEOW), and Probabilistic Storm Surge. Each data output is used at different times before the hurricanes landfall. MoM's is used over 120 hours before landfall and this is a historic record of all the largest envelops of water. The MEOW output is used 48-120 hours before landfall and is a estimate of how high the water will rise based on the incoming hurricane. Probabilistic Storm Surge is used less than 48 hours before landfall and give an areas probability of experiencing a storm surge of x amount.
Methodology
Hurricane Sandy was used a a case study in analyzing SLOSH model outputs. The data was downloaded from the National Hurricane Center SLOSH website. Each output from the SLOSH model was displayed to show how each can be used in emergency preparation.
Results
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Conclusions
The SLOSH model proves to be a valuable tool in analyzing how an incoming hurricane can affect a basin. As the time approaches landfall, the data becomes more and more detailed which makes preparation more feasible.
