HURREVAC for Inland Users

1
HURREVAC for Inland Users

• Alan Gerard
• NWS Jackson

2
Outline

• Basics
• Setup
• Getting Data
• Advanced Data Use and Interpretation
• Other Helpful Tools
• Concluding Thoughts

3
The Basics
4
Overview

• Stands for Hurricane Evacuation on a computer
• Restricted-use program EMs and other emergency
  service users ONLY
• Developed by Sea Island Software
• FEMA, USACE and NWS are government sponsors
• A main function is for coastal evacuation
  planning, but we will focus today on how to use
  it for EM inland hurricane operations

5
Sign up

• To get a copy of HURREVAC from Sea Island, you
  must become a registered HURREVAC user
• Register on the HURREVAC website
  (www.hurrevac.com)
• Need a government e-mail address
• If not a state/county EM, USACE, or NWS, need
  confirming info from an EM agency that you are
  involved in hurricane emergency support

6
Install

• Once you have submitted your registration
  information, Sea Island will provide you the
  information to download the program
• Once downloaded, you install just like any other
  Windows program
• Program comes preinstalled with the server
  information to obtain up to date NWS products

7
Setup and Navigation
8
Setup The Basics

• To get to basic setup
• Click on File Program Setup General
  Setup
• Once there, you will come up in the Localities
  menu. To setup the county(s) or parish(es) you
  are interested in
• Click on the state
• Then check on (off) the county you want (dont
  want)

9
General Setup

• Other items that need to be done in the General
  Setup menu
• Set time zone (click on Time Zone tab)
• Internet (mainly firewall settings, see Firewall
  FAQ for more info)
• Initial map (the map that comes up when you start
  HURREVAC more on maps in a minute). Options
• Local map - generally a map centered on the Gulf
• Full extent map the entire Atlantic basin
• Zoom to eye centered on the current storm
  center
• Zoom close to eye similar to zoom to eye only
  not as tight
• Last map where you were the last time you
  exited
• Colors (if desired)

10
Navigating the Maps

• HURREVAC starts off in a default click and drag
  map mode
• To zoom, left click on the map and pull/drag a
  box covering your desired new map area
• To change modes, go to the Map Icon menu (left
  side, 1/3 of the way down)
• Click on the hand switches you to pan mode
  (cursor changes to a hand)
• Left click and hold to pan around the map

11
Other Map Icons

• Upper left button left click for full extent
  map right click for local map
• Lower left button left click zoom to storm
  right click close-up zoom to storm
• Upper middle button zoom out button left
  click zoom out, right click super zoom out
• Lower middle button same as upper middle, only
  in instead of out

12
Setting Default Maps

• Use your map icons to get your map the way you
  want it
• Click on Map Map Default Settings, then
  select the appropriate map you wish to make the
  current map on the screen the default map for

13
Map Preferences

• Numerous different overlays and options can be
  selected for displaying on the map
• Click on Map Parameters Displayed
• A menu with many different parameters will
  appear. Each of these are toggles the ones
  with the checkmarks will be displayed.

14
Getting Data
15
Getting Data The Basics

• Data Access
• Program should come ready to go as far as
  internet and data access
• Note If you have firewall issues, you may need
  to go to the Hurrevac website and look at their
  Firewall FAQ
• If you dont have internet access available, you
  can use manual data entry (discussed later)

16
Getting Data What DoYou Want?

• HURREVAC can get hurricane/typhoon data from all
  of the Atlantic and the Pacific.
• Typically, you will only want the Atlantic and
  maybe the eastern Pacific
• Also downloads the tropical weather outlooks, the
  NWS QPF, River Flood Outlook, and evacuation
  (ETIS) data
• To setup what data you wish to get
• Click on File Internet Download of Data
  Download Profile Setup
• Turn off/on however you want
• Click on Save
• Other data (historical storms, climatology, etc.)
  comes preloaded

17
Getting Latest Data

• The easiest
• Click on Data icon in the Other icon menu left
  side about 2/3 of the way down
• Download will start immediately
• Can also go through File menu

18
Displaying and Using Data
19
Basic Display

• To get a storm on the display (if not there
  already)
• Click on Storm icon (about a third of the way
  down on the left)
• Storms are listed by letter and year (e.g.,
  Katrina would be K_2005.STM)
• For an active storm, information from the last
  advisory will appear

20
Display Mode

• HURREVAC comes up in Single Storm mode, which
  is what you will typically want to use
  operationally
• There are three basic display modes for single
  storm mode
• Wind Swath
• Average Error Swath (or the Cone)
• Single Track Plot
• Modes are changed with the mode icons on the left
  hand side of the display, about ½ way down

21
Wind Swath

• Wind swath shows the expected sustained winds
  given a perfect NHC forecast (center tracks
  directly along forecast and intensity is exactly
  right)
• Utilizes wind radii provided in NHC forecast
  advisories
• Only as good as the NHC forecast, and only valid
  OVER WATER if that quadrant is still at least
  partially over water (important!!!)

22
Average Error

• Essentially the same as the cone shown on the NHC
  website graphics
• Given the AVERAGE error of NHC track forecasts
  over the last 5 years, the center of the storm
  will remain in the cone approximately 65 of the
  time
• If you right click on the cone icon, you will
  also get a hatched area which shows the maximum
  extent of 39 mph (TS) sustained winds if the
  center were to track along the edge of the cone

23
Single Track Plot

• Gives an hourly motion/track map for the storm
• To loop, hit the Auto icon. Step buttons are
  on either side of the Auto icon.
• Colored circles show the extent of hurricane,
  storm (58 mph), and tropical storm (39 mph) force
  winds
• Again, these are over water winds if any part of
  that quadrant contains ocean!

24
Labels

• Labels can be placed on the display by left
  clicking on the Label icon in the Other icon
  menu (bottom center icon)
• Right clicking on the icon pops up a window that
  lets you choose what you want displayed in your
  labels
• Your own text can be placed on the graphic by
  doing a right click Custom Text Annotate
  Annotate Custom Text Here
• A pop up menu will appear where you can type in
  your text, choose size and color, and indicate if
  you want the storm info inserted along with your
  text.

25
Other Displays

• Basics Only Briefing Display
• Click on Display Mode then Basics Only
  Briefing Display
• Gives a graphic very similar to the NHC website
  graphic, including the cone
• Click on Toggle Less Specific Format under the
  Basics Only Briefing Display turns off the
  center line on the cone
• Use if you want to highlight the uncertainty in
  the forecast

26
Other Displays

• Time Chart
• Shows past and future trends in wind, pressure
  and motion
• Click on chart icon under Other menu (top
  middle icon) to display
• NWS Rainfall Forecast
• Left click on Rain icon under Other icon menu
  to get rainfall forecast for first 24 hours
• Morning (before 1 pm) 7 am to 7 am
• Afternoon 7 pm to 7 pm
• Right click on the icon gives you the second day
• NWS River Flood Outlook
• Left click on Purple Stream icon under Other
  icon menu

27
Other Displays

• Wind Probabilities
• Toggle in the lower right hand corner of display
  ( icon) turns wind speed probabilities on/off
• Brings up small boxes showing probabilities of
  sustained hurricane, storm (58 mph) and tropical
  storm (39 mph) winds
• Watches/warnings
• Double flag icon in lower right hand corner
  toggles on/off display of coastal watches/
  warnings

28
Saving Display

• Your display can be saved as a graphic by
• Clicking File Print/Print to File Print
  toFile OK
• Browse to the directory you want to save the file
  in
• Enter a file name
• Choose your format
• Click on Save
• Whatever is in your display window will be saved
  in your graphic!

29
Advanced Data Use and Interpretation
30
Wind Timing

• Gives you the timing for when sustained tropical
  storm, storm (58 mph), and hurricane force winds
  can be expected by county in a spreadsheet-like
  format
• Two ways to view this data under the Timing
  menu
• View all affected counties
• View only your local counties as defined in your
  setup

31
Wind Timing

• IMPORTANT THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN USING THIS
  DATA!!!
• This information is calculated the same way the
  wind swath is. Typically it will have winds
  arriving too fast because of the over water
  issue.
• The times are for when the given wind strength
  first (last) touch any part of a county, so it
  typically starts (ends) in the far southern
  (northern) part of the county. Arrival (ending)
  times for other parts of the county will be later
  (sooner).
• Are based off the wind swath forecast, which is
  based on the assumption that the NHC forecast
  will be perfect.

32
Timing

• Can also do wind timing for a single county on
  the fly
• Click on Timing Wind Timing Details
• Get a similar table for the forecasted closest
  point
• Click on Timing Forecast Closest Approach
  List
• For the center of the storm
• Azimuth and range given if not in county/parish

33
MEOW

• Wind decay models, or Maximum Envelope of Wind
  (MEOWs)
• Statistical model based on historical storms of a
  given intensity moving at a given speed
• Faster a storm is moving the more likely its
  strong winds will spread farther inland

34
MEOW

• Display in two ways
• Graphically by clicking on What-Ifs then Wind
  Decay Model Envelopes. Once you click on the
  intensity and speed of motion, the potential
  maximum wind speeds will be shown graphically.
• Tabular by clicking on What-Ifs then Affected
  List Decay MEOWs. You will initially get the
  entire county list click on Local and then
  Update to just get your local counties.

35
MEOW

• IMPORTANT THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN USING THIS
  DATA!!!
• Maximum winds are based strictly on normal decay
  of a hurricane due to moving over land. Other
  atmospheric conditions (e.g., shear) can result
  in greater/less weakening than normal.
• Based on middle of the road Saffir-simpson
  scale intensity values and only 4 forward motion
  speeds.
• We tend to use a blend of Wind Timing, MEOW and
  local effects to give our best guess for inland
  wind impacts in our area.

36
Average Error Cone

• Same as NHC graphic error cone (and as the
  display discussed earlier)
• Can get a tabular showing alternate scenarios
  (earlier max wind, later max wind, and highest
  possible wind) based on average NHC errors
• Click on What-Ifs, Affected List Average
  Error Cones Winds. Then need to click on
  Local and Update on pop-up window if you just
  want your local counties.

37
Average Error Cone MEOW

• Combines the average error cone with a MEOW that
  you choose.
• Graphic shows the appropriate MEOW within the NHC
  error cone
• Table shows the possible winds based on the MEOW
  for a given county assuming they are in the error
  cone. Alternate timing scenarios are shown based
  on NHC average errors.
• Both are found under the What-Ifs menu

38
Average Error Ellipse

• Shows the range of possible positions of the
  center at a given forecast hour based on average
  NHC forecast errors
• Similar to the cone only in an hourly format
• Can combine with the forecast range of sustained
  tropical storm force winds to show the area under
  any threat of TS force winds at a given hour
  based on average NHC errors.

39
Alternate Forecast Tracks

• Tool basically enables you to look at the full
  suite of HURREVAC tools for alternate forecast
  scenarios
• Three options are available
• Direct hit on a given county
• Track on the right side of the NHC error cone
• Track on the left side of the NHC error cone
• All three are under the What-Ifs menu at the
  bottom

40
Thoughts on Alternate Tracks and NHC Error Cones

• The NHC error cone is based on the average NHC
  forecast error.
• Some meteorological environments are higher
  forecast confidence than others.
• Being in the cone, particularly at days 4/5, does
  not necessarily mean there is a realistic threat
  for your area.
• We will give you guidance as to whether the
  forecast is more or less confident than normal,
  and whether a track farther east or west is more
  likely.
• This will enable you to use the alternate tracks
  and MEOW to their best capability.

41
Other Useful Tools
42
Right Click Tools

• Right click and then click on Wind Details This
  Location
• Get the Wind Timing for the location you clicked
  on
• Right click and then click on Place Wind Tag
  Here
• Get wind direction at that point, and speed if
  you are within the sustained TS force wind area
• Can also do custom text and toggle storm info
  labels with right click menu

43
Text Browser

• Allows you to view the text products from NHC
  (advisories, tropical weather outlook, etc.)
• Click on Utilities Advisory Text Viewer
• Pop-up Window with self-explanatory buttons
• Print function will print everything that is in
  the window!

44
Tidal Gages

• Can view the latest tide information for NOAA
  gages along the coast
• Click on Tools NOAA Tide Gages. This is a
  toggle (checkmark shows its on).
• HURREVAC will go online to get the latest tidal
  gage information (may take several minutes).
• Once data has been brought in, right click on a
  gage site to view the data for that location.

45
GIS Function

• Can export files into GIS format for input into
  ArcView, Google Earth, WorldWind, etc.
• Click on File Export Field(s) to GIS File
• You have 4 options for what you want to export
• Forecast storm track
• Past storm track
• Forecast and past track
• Forecast wind ranges

46
Shelter Tool

• Keep track of your shelter locations and
  information via the shelter tool
• To start click on Utilities then Shelters
• Click on Add County File to add your county
• Enter information for shelter, when done click
  Next Shelter to add
• Can show a up to date status list in a tabular
  format by clicking Status List
• Reports can also be printed

47
Exercise Tool

• This tool enables you to create fictitious storms
  for use in drills or exercises
• Start the tool under the Utilities menu

48
Manual Data Entry

• If you do not have internet access, you can
  manually enter the advisory information HURREVAC
  needs to make its plots
• Click on File Manual Data Entry/Setup to
  start the tool

49
Closing Thoughts

• HURREVAC is a tool
• The information is only as good as the forecast
• Times and winds are approximations
• Many caveats as we have discussed today
• Best use is for briefings and as guidance, along
  with NWS briefings and information, in making
  your weather related decisions.