"Weather" You Go or Stay ...PREPARE TODAY

Hurricane Expo 2010, sponsored by the Pasco County Office of Emergency Management
S A T U R D A Y,    M A Y  15
NEW PORT RICHEY RECREATION CENTER
6630 Van Buren Street, New Port Richey
(between Massachusetts Avenue and Main Street)

Free Parking and Free Admission

Featuring Steve Jerve, Chief Meteorologist
News Channel 8 Presenting at:
12 NOON

National Hurricane Center makes changes for the 2010 season

The National Hurricane Center is changing information on it's site as well as the reporting format of changes in it's text and products. For a summary of the changes please click here

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/nhc_new_2010.pdf

NOAA Closes Commercial and Recreational Fishing in Oil-Affected Portion of Gulf of Mexico

May 2, 2010

NOAA is restricting fishing for a minimum of ten days in federal waters most affected by the BP oil spill, largely between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida’s Pensacola Bay (map attached). The closure is effective immediately. Details can be found here:  http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/. Fishermen who wish to contact BP about a claim should call 800-440-0858.
“NOAA scientists are on the ground in the area of the oil spill taking water and seafood samples in an effort to ensure the safety of the seafood and fishing activities,” said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, NOAA Administrator, who met with more than 100 fishermen in Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish on Friday night. “I heard the concerns of the Plaquemines Parish fishermen as well other fishermen and state fishery managers about potential economic impacts of a closure. Balancing economic and health concerns, this order closes just those areas that are affected by oil. There should be no health risk in seafood currently in the marketplace.”

“We stand with America's fisherman, their families and businesses in impacted coastal communities during this very challenging time. Fishing is vital to our economy and our quality of life and we will work tirelessly to protect it," said Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke. NOAA is a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Severe Weather Statement Prediction for Wednesday-Thursday, December 2-3

A low pressure system is anticipated to move through our area on Wednesday-Thursday bringing the possibility of heavy rain, hail, and isolated tornadoes to the Pasco area. Most of the activity is expected to occur Wednesday afternoon into early Thursday morning. The greatest time of concern will be Wednesday night when high tides are projected to be 3.6-3.8 feet from New Port Richey to Hudson. Please use caution in areas along the coastline that are traditionally subject to flooding from these types of weather events.  

Hurricane Season is over

Yesterday marked the end of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season.  We had 9 named storms including three hurricanes at Category 3 or higher.  Two storms, Claudette and Ida brought tropical winds to the United States.
No hurricanes hit the US.

The reduced activity was due to the development of El Nino during the summer.  This resulted in fewer and shorter-lived storms compared to some recent very active seasons.

NOAA will issue its initial 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook in May, prior to the official start of the season on June 1.

Tropical Storm IDA from noaa.gov

WTNT31 KNHC 101154
TCPAT1
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM IDA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  26A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL   AL112009
600 AM CST TUE NOV 10 2009

...IDA OVER MOBILE BAY...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA
EASTWARD TO THE AUCILLA RIVER FLORIDA...INCLUDING NEW ORLEANS AND
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY
YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE.

DATA FROM NOAA DOPPLER RADAR AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THAT
THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM IDA MADE ITS FIRST LANDFALL AROUND 540
AM CST...1140 UTC...ON DAUPHIN ISLAND ALABAMA...WITH MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 45 MPH...75 KM/HR. 

AT 600 AM CST...1200 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM IDA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 30.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.0 WEST OR ABOUT 25
MILES...40 KM...SOUTH OF MOBILE ALABAMA.

IDA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR.  THIS
GENERAL MOTION WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED
TODAY.  ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF IDA SHOULD REACH THE
MAINLAND ALABAMA COAST LATER THIS MORNING.  AFTER LANDFALL...IDA IS
EXPECTED TO TURN EASTWARD.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 45 MPH...75 KM/HR
...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  SOME ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED...AND
IDA IS EXPECTED TO LOSE TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS LATER TODAY.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM
FROM THE CENTER.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 999 MB...29.50 INCHES.

IDA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6
INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM STORM TOTALS OF 8 INCHES...THROUGH
WEDNESDAY EVENING FROM THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN GULF COAST ACROSS
THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES INTO THE SOUTHERN MID-ATLANTIC
STATES.

A DANGEROUS STORM TIDE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 3 TO 5
FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE COAST NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF
WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.  NEAR THE COAST...THE SURGE WILL BE
ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES.

...SUMMARY OF 600 AM CST INFORMATION...
LOCATION...30.3N 88.0W
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...45 MPH
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NORTHEAST OR 35 DEGREES AT 9 MPH
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...999 MB

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT
900 AM CST.

$$
FORECASTER BRENNAN/BLAKE/CANGIALOSI

FEMA Administrator Encourages International Emergency Managers To Engage Public As Part Of The Team

At the 57th Annual International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Conference in Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida many of our nation's emergency managers shared best practices and lessons learned as they continue to build our nation's emergency response team.  "FEMA is only a part of our nation's national response team.  Local emergency managers also play a key role in encouraging public preparedness.  The public is a critical partner, and the more individuals do now to prepare, the stronger our national emergency response team will be during our next disaster," said Department of Homeland Security's FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.
Exhibitors included IPAWS (Integrated Public Alert and Warning System) and EMI (Emergency Management Institute). 
FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, an improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.