Hurricane Education and Outreach in the Big Bend Region

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Hurricane Education and Outreach in the Big Bend
Region
North Florida Chapter of the American
Meteorological Society

• Mike Porter
• Alec Bogdanoff
• July 7, 2006

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What We Do

• We are a group of meteorology students, faculty,
  professionals, and community members at-large who
  are interested in the weather!
• We perform educational and community outreach
  within the Big Bend region, designed to teach
  people of all ages about hurricanes,
  preparedness, and the weather in general.
• We are here today to talk to you all about our
  role in passing along knowledge about hurricanes
  to the general public and meteorologists

essentially, why they are telling you what they
are today!
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Why is Hurricane Knowledge Important?
(courtesy NOAA Coastal Data Center)
Since 1851, 52 storms have passed within 50 miles
of Thomasville! WHY they do so and WHAT they
bring with them are very important to understand
for understanding hurricanes!
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Three Major Tracks

• Across Florida from the Atlantic (southeast)
• Like Hurricane Frances in 2004
• Most common during the peak of the season
• From the Caribbean (south)
• Like Hurricane Dennis in 2005
• Most common early on in the season
• From the Gulf (southwest)
• Like Tropical Storm Bonnie in 2004
• Most common early or late in the season

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The Why of Hurricane Tracks
Hurricanes are steered by larger areas of high
and low pressure How they set up with respect
to one another determines where the storm
goes! Early in the year, storms tend to form in
the Gulf and head this way. During mid-season,
they tend to form out in the Atlantic.
H
H
Late in the season, hurricanes tend to form
closer to the US, but are usually keptaway from
here by cold fronts passing through as we move
into fall!
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Three Major Impacts

• Winds
• Hurricane Kate in 1985
• Image from State of Florida/Capital Area Red
  Cross Website ofTharpe St. in Tallahassee
• Rainfall
• Tropical Storm Allison in 2001
• Over 10 of rain across N. Floridaand S. Georgia
  in a 24-hr span
• Waves Storm Surge
• Hurricane Dennis in 2005
• Covered by the Natl. WeatherService in their
  talk earlier

(courtesy SE Regional Climate Center)
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Any questions?Thank you!

• Visit us on the web!http//www.northflams.org/
• mporter_at_met.fsu.edu // abogdano_at_met.fsu.edu