Preliminary data sampling from a prototype system that blends observations, weather forecasts and combined water models with decision support tools to predict storm flood heights in coastal areas shows that, during the passage of Hurricane Irene, the system made highly accurate predictions in the sampled locations.
“Irene is the first really large and intense event we’ve tried to predict,” says Suzanne Van Cooten, research hydrometeorologist with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. “From looking at what we’ve reviewed so far in the tidal-plane area, our predictions were within half a foot. We were right on for the total water inundation levels.”