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Tropical
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courtesy
of National
Hurricane Center
COORDINATION
The
Tropical Prediction Center (TPC) performs extensive
coordination during the course of preparing
and transmitting a hurricane advisory.
| The
coordination falls into three categories: |
1st
- Hurricane Hotline Coordination
2nd
- International Coordination
3rd
- Emergency Manager Coordination
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1st
CATEGORY |
"Internal"
coordination on the Hurricane Hotline
The hotline is a closed-circuit telephone
system connecting the TPC with other National
Weather Service (NWS) national centers,
NWS forecast offices, NWS river forecast
centers, and several Department of Defense
installations. This coordination call
is made for every Atlantic advisory at
two hours after the start of the advisory
cycle.
This
coordination serves several purposes.
First and foremost, it gives the other
offices advanced notice of the contents
of the upcoming advisory. This gives them
time to create their own forecast and
warning products, many of which are usually
issued at about the same time as the advisory.
Second, it is when the watches and warnings
are coordinated between TPC and the local
forecast offices. Third, other NWS national
centers may have useful input on the forecast
track, intensity, wind radii, rainfall,
and tornadoes to provide during the call.
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2nd
CATEGORY |
International
coordination
The TPC issues watches and warnings for
the United States. However, the national
weather services of the Caribbean countries,
Central America, Mexico, Bermuda, and
Canada issue watches and warnings for
their own countries. TPC coordinates with
these weather services on the cyclone
forecasts and appropriate warnings.
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3rd
CATEGORY |
Coordination
with emergency managers
One way this occurs is through a briefing
for federal, state, and local emergency
managers held by the Hurricane Liaison
Team (HLT) of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA). These briefings normally
occur shortly after the advisory is issued.
The TPC meteorologists involved in the
briefing give an overview of the situation
which helps the emergency mangers make
decisions regarding evacuations, transportation
issues and resource allocation.
A
second method of this coordination includes
both formal and informal conference calls
with state and local emergency mangers.
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