The National Hurricane Center and Google are working together to create a map that homeowners can use to determine if their property is threatened by a dangerous hurricane storm surge.
Storm surge is considered one of the most destructive elements of a hurricane and the greatest threat to the lives of people who ignore evacuation orders in vulnerable coastal areas. Google will use storm surge data that meteorologists have used for years to determine the flooding threat from any category of storm.
People can plug in their addresses to see at what level they are at risk. The program should be available during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Hurricane forecasters use a computerized model called SLOSH (Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) that estimates storm surge heights by taking into account the size, internal pressure, forward speed, track, and wind strength of a hurricane.
Hurricane forecasters will also offer a new color-coded graphic on the NHC Web site this year that will indicate storm surge probabilities for threatened areas, similar to forecasts they now offer on wind-speed probabilities. The graphic will indicate the probability of the surge reaching or exceeding five feet within a given number of hours.
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