Hurricane Response

NOAA’s National Ocean Service

A hurricane has just ravaged the coast. Homes are damaged or destroyed. 

Family members are searching for loved ones. Ports are closed due to 

unknown hazards in surrounding waterways. Damaged vessels and chemical 

containers are leaking potentially hazardous material into the water.

And in the background, without much bravado or fanfare, NOAA’s National 

Ocean Service has sprung in to action, working to get things moving 

again...responding in the aftermath of the storm.
Rapid Hurricane Response

Following hurricanes, the National Ocean Service, an offi ce within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration, is one of the key partners immediately working to respond with a range of activities.

Water-level Monitoring

Before, during, and after a storm, NOAA monitors and disseminates observations of water levels, currents, and 

weather information (winds, atmospheric pressure, air/water temperature) in real time via the National Water Level 

Observation Network, the Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System, and the Texas Coastal Ocean Observing 

Network, a NOAA observing system partner in the Gulf of Mexico region. Th e real-time environmental information 

provided from over 70 NOAA and partner-operated stations in the Gulf of Mexico helps coastal authorities prepare 

for, mitigate, and respond to storm tides and coastal fl ooding generated by severe storms. To ensure data are available 

when most needed, NOAA has constructed four “Sentinels of the Coast,” strengthened structures designed to 

withstand wind and wave action from category four hurricanes. 

Also, as a storm approaches and a National Weather Service storm track is issued, the National Ocean Service 

provides Storm QuickLook, a compilation of near real-time ocean and weather observations within the aff ected 

coastal area. Th e National Ocean Service updates Storm QuickLook, which is available online, four times per day. 

Navigational Surveys

Immediately following a hurricane, the Offi ce of Coast Survey provides emergency hydrographic services for aff ected 

port areas. Th ese services are performed by Navigation Response Teams—three-person mobile emergency response 

units equipped and trained to survey waterways immediately following a hurricane. Th ese teams use echo sounders 

to check for submerged obstructions that pose hazards to vessels, collect data to update NOAA’s national suite of 

nautical charts, and provide mapping support throughout the Atlantic Seaboard, Pacifi c Coast, Great Lakes, and Gulf 

of Mexico. Th e work of these teams is essential to speeding the re-opening of ports and waterways, allowing the fl ow 

of needed supplies and enabling commerce - valued at more than $1 trillion annually to the nation’s economy - to 

return to impacted regions.

Aerial Photography Surveys

Just hours after a hurricane hits a coastal area, the National Geodetic Survey begins fl ying photo survey missions 

to assess storm damage. NOAA makes these photographs, which often number in the thousands, available on the 

Internet. Th e data contained in these photos provide emergency and coastal managers with information needed to 

develop recovery strategies, facilitate search and rescue eff orts, identify hazards to navigation and HAZMAT spills, 

locate errant vessels, and provide documentation necessary for damage assessment through the comparison of before 

and after imagery.

Th ese images, which are posted online, are among the most-accessed pages of the NOAA Web site, as they help those 

most aff ected by a hurricane determine if their homes, businesses, or properties are still standing and aid insurance 

companies in resolving claims and speeding the rebuilding of facilities.

Hazardous Spill Response

In the wake of a hurricane, the Offi ce of Response and Restoration provides scientifi c support to hazardous materials 

response eff orts in coastal areas. Th e offi ce works with partners to survey vessels or containers that may be leaking 

fuel, oil, or other hazardous materials. Spill responders fl y missions to identify and document off shore sources of 

spills. Information from these fl ights, when combined with weather and hydrologic data in computer models, can 

help to predict spill movement and determine pollution threats. Th e Offi ce of Response and Restoration also provides 

guidance on marine debris and vessel salvage, conducts shoreline cleanup assessments, and collects information to 

understand natural resource impacts from spills in aff ected areas. Th ese activities support the U.S. Coast Guard’s spill 

containment and clean-up eff orts. NOAA also works closely with federal and state trustees as well as any responsible 

parties to assess and restore resources injured by the oil spill and compensate for the public’s lost use of the resources.
Th e work of the National Ocean Service ensues in the hours following a 

hurricane, but it doesn’t stop there. For weeks, months, even years after a 

hurricane has ravaged a coastal community, the National Ocean Service 

continues its work.

Contamination Assessments

NOAA’s National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program, part of the National 

Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, coordinates with multiple partners to 

develop strategies to assess the environmental impacts of contaminants in 

coastal and estuarine waters in the aftermath of hurricanes. Specifi cally, the 

NS&T Program measures contaminants in oyster tissue, sediments, and 

waters in an aff ected region, testing for pesticides, herbicides, nutrients, 

metals, fl ame retardant chemicals, hydrocarbons, biphenyls, and human 

pathogens. Of special concern is assessing the risk to human health of eating 

fi sh and shellfi sh from the area aff ected by the storm and ensuring seafood 

safety. Working in partnership with the National Marine Fisheries Service, 

the Mussel Watch Program, part of the NS&T Program, provides baseline 

contaminant records for comparison with post-storm levels to carry out this 

mission.

Maps and Data Analysis

Following a hurricane, the NOAA Coastal Services Center provides the 

satellite and aerial images needed to generate maps that help offi cials 

understand the long-term eff ects of the hurricane. Th ese data products 

include pre-hurricane imagery and digital elevation data from a variety 

of sources; before and after imagery comparisons; and maps depicting 

ecological impacts, debris assessment, and wetlands loss along the coast. Th e 

Center may also conduct studies that focus on a storm’s economic impacts. 

Long-term Recovery Planning

Th e NOAA Coastal Services Center and the Offi ce of Ocean and Coastal 

Resource Management provide assistance in long-term recovery planning in 

areas impacted by a hurricane. Staff may assist in the development of coastal 

project plans, coordinate with other federal and state organizations involved 

in recovery planning, and assist with the design and implementation of 

activities to involve local communities in planning for their own long-term 

recovery.

Long-term Hurricane Response
For More Information

Media Inquiries: 

Ben Sherman, Ben.Sherman@noaa.gov

John Ewald, John.Ewald@noaa.gov

301-713-3066

NOAA’s National Ocean Service: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov

Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services:

http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/

National Water Level Observation Network: http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/nwlon.html

 Storm QuickLook: http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/quicklook.shtml 

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science: http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/

NOAA’s National Status and Trends Program: http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/about/coast/nsandt/default.aspx

National Geodetic Survey: http://geodesy.noaa.gov/

Emergency Response Imagery: http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/eri_page/index.html

NOAA Coastal Services Center: http://csc.noaa.gov/

Office of Coast Survey: http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/

Navigation Response Teams: http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/nrb.htm

Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management: http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/

Office of Response and Restoration: http://response.restoration.noaa.gov