# Presentation: 050176

## HURREVAC for Inland Users

**Alan Gerard**
**NWS Jackson**

## Outline

**Basics**
**Setup**
**Getting Data**
**Advanced Data Use and Interpretation**
**Other Helpful Tools**
**Concluding Thoughts**

## The Basics

## Overview

**Stands for “Hurricane Evacuation on a computer”**
**Restricted-use program – EM’s and other emergency service users ONLY**
**Developed by Sea Island Software**
**FEMA, USACE and NWS are government sponsors**
**A main function is for coastal evacuation planning, but we will focus today on how to use it for EM inland hurricane operations**

## Sign up 

**To get a copy of HURREVAC from Sea Island, you must become a registered HURREVAC user**
***Register on the HURREVAC website (***_***[www.hurrevac.com](http://www.hurrevac.com/)***__***)***_
***Need a government e-mail address***
***If not a state/county EM, USACE, or NWS, need confirming info from an EM agency that you are involved in hurricane emergency support ***

## Install

**Once you have submitted your registration information, Sea Island will provide you the information to download the program**
**Once downloaded, you install just like any other Windows program**
**Program comes preinstalled with the server information to obtain up to date NWS products**

## Setup and Navigation

## To get to basic setup
Click on File      Program Setup       General Setup
Once there, you will come up in the Localities menu.  To setup the county(s) or parish(es) you are interested in
Click on the state
Then check on (off) the county you want (don’t want)

***Click on File      Program Setup       General Setup***
***Once there, you will come up in the Localities menu.  To setup the county(s) or parish(es) you are interested in***
**Click on the state**
**Then check on (off) the county you want (don’t want)**

**Setup – The Basics**

## General Setup

**Other items that need to be done in the General Setup menu**
***Set time zone (click on Time Zone tab)***
***Internet (mainly firewall settings, see Firewall FAQ for more info)***
***Initial map (the map that comes up when you start HURREVAC; more on maps in a minute). Options:***
**Local map - generally a map centered on the Gulf**
**Full extent map – the entire Atlantic basin**
**Zoom to eye – centered on the current storm center**
**Zoom close to eye – similar to zoom to eye only not as tight**
**Last map – where you were the last time you exited**
***Colors (if desired)***

## Navigating the Maps

**HURREVAC starts off in a default “click and drag” map mode**
***To zoom, left click on the map and pull/drag a box covering your desired new map area***
**To change modes, go to the Map Icon menu (left side, 1/3 of the way down)**
***Click on the hand – switches you to pan mode (cursor changes to a hand)***
**Left click and hold to pan around the map**

## Other Map Icons

**Upper left button – left click for full extent map; right click for local map**
**Lower left button – left click zoom to storm; right click close-up zoom to storm**
**Upper middle button – zoom out button:  left click zoom out, right click super zoom out**
**Lower middle button – same as upper middle, only in instead of out**

## Setting Default Maps

**Use your map icons to get your map the way you want it**
**Click on Map      Map Default Settings, then select the appropriate map you wish to make the *****current map on the screen *****the *****default map *****for**

## Map Preferences

**Numerous different overlays and options can be selected for displaying on the map**
**Click on Map     Parameters Displayed  **
***A menu with many different parameters will appear.  Each of these are toggles – the ones with the checkmarks will be displayed.***

## Getting Data

## Getting Data – The Basics

**Data Access**
***Program should come ready to go as far as internet and data access***
***Note:  If you have firewall issues, you may need to go to the Hurrevac website and look at their Firewall FAQ***
***If you don’t have internet access available, you can use manual data entry (discussed later)***

## Getting Data – What DoYou Want?

**HURREVAC can get hurricane/typhoon data from all of the Atlantic and the Pacific.**
***Typically, you will only want the Atlantic and maybe the eastern Pacific***
***Also downloads the tropical weather outlooks, the NWS QPF, River Flood Outlook, and evacuation (ETIS) data***
**To setup what data you wish to get:**
***Click on File        Internet Download of Data         Download Profile Setup***
***Turn off/on however you want***
***Click on Save***
**Other data (historical storms, climatology, etc.) comes preloaded**

## Getting Latest Data

**The easiest**
***Click on Data icon in the “Other” icon menu; left side about 2/3 of the way down***
***Download will start immediately***
**Can also go through File menu**

## Displaying and Using Data

## Basic Display

**To get a storm on the display (if not there already)**
***Click on Storm icon (about a third of the way down on the left)***
***Storms are listed by letter and year (e.g., Katrina would be K_2005.STM)***
***For an active storm, information from the last advisory will appear***

## Display Mode

**HURREVAC comes up in “Single Storm” mode, which is what you will typically want to use operationally**
**There are three basic “display modes” for single storm mode**
***Wind Swath***
***Average Error Swath (or the Cone)***
***Single Track Plot***
**Modes are changed with the mode icons on the left hand side of the display, about 1⁄2 way down**

## Wind Swath

**Wind swath shows the expected **_**sustained **_**winds given a perfect NHC forecast (center tracks directly along forecast and intensity is exactly right)**
**Utilizes wind radii provided in NHC forecast advisories**
**Only as good as the NHC forecast, and only valid OVER WATER if that quadrant is still at least partially over water (important!!!)**

## Average Error

**Essentially the same as the cone shown on the NHC website graphics**
**Given the AVERAGE error of NHC track forecasts over the last 5 years, the center of the storm will remain in the cone approximately 65% of the time**
**If you right click on the “cone icon,” you will also get a hatched area which shows the maximum extent of 39 mph (TS) sustained winds if the center were to track along the edge of the cone**

## Single Track Plot

**Gives an hourly motion/track map for the storm**
***To loop, hit the “Auto” icon.  Step buttons are on either side of the “Auto” icon.***
**Colored “circles” show the extent of hurricane, storm (58 mph), and tropical storm (39 mph) force winds**
**Again, these are over water winds if any part of that quadrant contains ocean!**

## Labels

**Labels can be placed on the display by left clicking on the “Label” icon in the “Other” icon menu (bottom center icon)**
***Right clicking on the icon pops up a window that lets you choose what you want displayed in your labels***
**Your own text can be placed on the graphic by doing a right click      Custom Text Annotate       Annotate Custom Text Here**
***A pop up menu will appear where you can type in your text, choose size and color, and indicate if you want the storm info inserted along with your text.***

## Other Displays

**“****Basics Only” Briefing Display**
***Click on “Display Mode” then “Basics Only Briefing Display”***
***Gives a graphic very similar to the NHC website graphic, including the cone***
***Click on “Toggle Less Specific Format” under the “Basics Only Briefing Display” turns off the center line on the cone***
**Use if you want to highlight the uncertainty in the forecast**

## Other Displays

**Time Chart**
***Shows past and future trends in wind, pressure and motion***
***Click on chart icon under “Other” menu (top middle icon) to display***
**NWS Rainfall Forecast**
***Left click on “Rain” icon under “Other” icon menu to get rainfall forecast for first 24 hours***
**Morning (before 1 pm):  7 am to 7 am**
**Afternoon:  7 pm to 7 pm**
*** ******Right click on the icon gives you the second day***
**NWS River Flood Outlook**
***Left click on “Purple Stream” icon under “Other” icon menu***

## Other Displays

**Wind Probabilities**
***Toggle in the lower right hand corner of display (% icon) turns wind speed probabilities on/off***
***Brings up small boxes showing probabilities of ***_**sustained **_***hurricane, storm (58 mph) and tropical storm (39 mph) winds***
**Watches/warnings**
***Double flag icon in lower right hand corner toggles on/off display of ***_***coastal ***_***watches/ warnings***

## Saving Display

**Your display can be saved as a graphic by **
***Clicking File      Print/Print to File      Print to...File      OK***
***Browse to the directory you want to save the file in***
***Enter a file name***
***Choose your format***
***Click on Save***
**Whatever is in your display window will be saved in your graphic!**

## Advanced Data Use and Interpretation

## Wind Timing

**Gives you the timing for when sustained tropical storm, storm (58 mph), and hurricane force winds can be expected by county in a spreadsheet-like format**
**Two ways to view this data under the “Timing” menu**
***View ***_***all***_*** affected counties***
***View only your local counties as defined in your setup***

## Wind Timing

_**IMPORTANT THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN USING THIS DATA!!!**_
***This information is calculated the same way the wind swath is.  Typically it will have winds ***_***arriving too fast***_*** because of the “over water” issue.***
***The times are for when the given wind strength first (last) touch any part of a county, so it typically starts (ends) in the far southern (northern) part of the county.  Arrival (ending) times for other parts of the county will be later (sooner).***
***Are based off the wind swath forecast, which is based on the assumption that the NHC forecast will be “perfect.”***

## Timing

**Can also do wind timing for a single county on the fly**
***Click on Timing      Wind Timing Details***
**Get a similar table for the forecasted closest point**
***Click on Timing      Forecast Closest Approach List***
***For the ***_***center***_*** of the storm***
***Azimuth and range given if not in county/parish***

## MEOW

**Wind decay models, or **_**M**_**aximum **_**E**_**nvelope **_**o**_**f **_**W**_**ind (MEOWs)**
**Statistical model based on historical storms of a given intensity moving at a given speed**
***Faster a storm is moving the more likely its strong winds will spread farther inland***

## MEOW

**Display in two ways**
***Graphically by clicking on “What-Ifs” then “Wind Decay Model” Envelopes.  Once you click on the intensity and speed of motion, the potential maximum wind speeds will be shown graphically.***
***Tabular by clicking on “What-Ifs” then “Affected List – Decay MEOWs.”  You will initially get the entire county list – click on “Local” and then “Update” to just get your local counties.***

## MEOW

_**IMPORTANT THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN USING THIS DATA!!!**_
***Maximum winds are based strictly on normal decay of a hurricane due to moving over land.  Other atmospheric conditions (e.g., shear) can result in greater/less weakening than normal.***
***Based on “middle of the road” Saffir-simpson scale intensity values and only 4 forward motion speeds.***
_**We tend to use a blend of Wind Timing, MEOW and local effects to give our best guess for inland wind impacts in our area.**_

## Average Error Cone

**Same as NHC graphic error cone (and as the display discussed earlier)**
***Can get a tabular showing alternate scenarios (earlier max wind, later max wind, and highest possible wind) based on average NHC errors***
***Click on “What-Ifs,” “Affected List – Average Error Cones + Winds.”  Then need to click on “Local” and “Update” on pop-up window if you just want your local counties.***

## Average Error Cone + MEOW

**Combines the average error cone with a MEOW that you choose.**
***Graphic shows the appropriate MEOW within the NHC error cone***
***Table shows the possible winds based on the MEOW for a given county assuming they are in the error cone.  Alternate timing scenarios are shown based on NHC average errors.***
***Both are found under the “What-Ifs” menu***

## Average Error Ellipse

**Shows the range of possible positions of the center at a given forecast hour based on average NHC forecast errors**
***Similar to the cone only in an hourly format***
***Can combine with the forecast range of sustained tropical storm force winds to show the area under any threat of TS force winds at a given hour based on average NHC errors.***

## Alternate Forecast Tracks

**Tool basically enables you to look at the full suite of HURREVAC tools for alternate forecast scenarios**
**Three options are available**
***Direct hit on a given county***
***Track on the right side of the NHC error cone***
***Track on the left side of the NHC error cone***
***All three are under the “What-Ifs” menu at the bottom***

## Thoughts on Alternate Tracks and NHC Error Cones

**The NHC error cone is based on the **_**average**_** NHC forecast error.**
***Some meteorological environments are higher forecast confidence than others.***
***Being in the cone, particularly at days 4/5, does not ***_***necessarily***_*** mean there is a realistic threat for your area.***
**We will give you guidance as to whether the forecast is more or less confident than normal, and whether a track farther east or west is more likely.**
***This will enable you to use the alternate tracks and MEOW to their best capability.***

## Other Useful Tools

## Right Click Tools

**Right click and then click on “Wind Details This Location”**
***Get the Wind Timing for the location you clicked on***
**Right click and then click on “Place Wind Tag Here”**
***Get wind direction at that point, and speed if you are within the sustained TS force wind area***
**Can also do custom text and toggle storm info labels with right click menu**

## Text Browser

**Allows you to view the text products from NHC (advisories, tropical weather outlook, etc.)**
***Click on Utilities      Advisory Text Viewer***
***Pop-up Window with self-explanatory buttons***
***Print function will print everything that is in the window!***

## Tidal Gages

**Can view the latest tide information for NOAA gages along the coast**
***Click on Tools      NOAA Tide Gages.  This is a toggle (checkmark shows it’s on).***
***HURREVAC will go online to get the latest tidal gage information (may take several minutes).***
***Once data has been brought in, right click on a gage site to view the data for that location.***

## GIS Function

**Can export files into GIS format for input into ArcView, Google Earth, WorldWind, etc.**
***Click on File      Export Field(s) to GIS File***
***You have 4 options for what you want to export***
**Forecast storm track**
**Past storm track**
**Forecast **_**and**_** past track**
**Forecast wind ranges**

## Shelter Tool

**Keep track of your shelter locations and information via the shelter tool**
**To start click on “Utilities” then “Shelters”**
***Click on “Add County File” to add your county***
***Enter information for shelter, when done click “Next Shelter” to add ***
***Can show a up to date status list in a tabular format by clicking “Status List”***
***Reports can also be printed***

## Exercise Tool

**This tool enables you to create fictitious storms for use in drills or exercises**
***Start the tool under the “Utilities” menu***

## Manual Data Entry

**If you do not have internet access, you can manually enter the advisory information HURREVAC needs to make its plots**
***Click on File     Manual Data Entry/Setup to start the tool***

## Closing Thoughts

**HURREVAC is a **_**tool**_
***The information is only as good as the forecast***
***Times and winds are approximations***
***Many caveats as we have discussed today***
**Best use is for briefings and as **_**guidance**_**, along with NWS briefings and information, in making your weather related decisions.**