| [August 25, 2005] |
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WeatherBug(R) Supports the National Weather Service (NWS) with Live, Neighborhood Level Data for Tropical Storm Katrina & 2005 Hurricane Season
--(Business Wire)-- WeatherBug Data Is Utilized by National Weather Service (NWS), State and Local Government Agencies, Consumers, Mobile Users, Businesses and Broadcasters Across the U.S.
Who:
WeatherBug Chief Meteorologist, Mark Hoekzema, Ryan Towell - Producer / Meteorologist, Joe Bartosik - WeatherBug Meteorologist.
What:
Tropical Storm Katrina has formed near the Bahamas and will be crossing southern Florida late Thursday, August 25 and Friday, August 26. Hurricane Warnings have been issued for the southeast Florida coast from Vero Beach south to Florida City, including Lake Okeechobee, as strengthening Katrina brings tropical downpours and very gusty winds to the Bahamas. Katrina is expected to become a hurricane today.
The greatest threat to Florida will be a 3 to 5 foot storm surge along the coast and torrential rainfall, possibly greater than a foot into early this weekend. Flooding will be a major concern.
WeatherBug meteorologists are coordinating Katrina coverage for the remainder of the week and the weekend to continue to monitor and report weather conditions on its website at www.weatherbug.com and via all WeatherBug programs. WeatherBug will also conduct its usual outreach to WeatherBug users and WeatherBug Backyard Station reporters for on-site user reports and stories.
WeatherBug features the nation's only live, streaming data from the largest weather network in the U.S. NWS incorporates data from WeatherBug's nationwide, real-time weather sensor network. WeatherBug data will be used as part of NWS's expanded surface observation network to improve weather forecasting and in support of issuing timely severe weather warnings.
Where:
Tropical storm Katrina has formed near the Bahamas and will be crossing southern Florida late Thursday, August 25 and Friday, August 26. A Hurricane WARNING is now in effect for Florida's southeast coast from Vero Beach south to Florida City, including Lake Okeechobee. A Tropical Storm WATCH is in effect from Vero Beach north to Titusville and for the middle and upper Florida Keys from the Seven Mile Bridge to Florida City. The watch now includes Florida's west coast from Florida City to Englewood, including Florida Bay. Tropical Storm Warnings continue for the northwestern Bahamas.
At 11 a.m. EDT, Katrina is centered near 26.2 N, 79.3 W, or about 55 miles east of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. It is moving west near 6 mph with some decrease in speed expected today. United States Air Force "Hurricane Hunters" report maximum sustained winds of 60 mph with a minimum central pressure of 29.44" (997 mb). Katrina is expected to become a hurricane today and could create flooding rains totaling 6 to 12 inches, with isolated amounts of 15 to 20 inches possible. Katrina is then forecast to come ashore as a hurricane along Florida's southeast coast, near or north of Miami late tonight or early Friday morning. After it crosses the Florida peninsula, Katrina will likely reemerge over the Gulf of Mexico later in the weekend, where it could re-strengthen. A secondary landfall is expected over the northern Gulf Coast late this weekend or early next week.
WeatherBug Meteorology Center and 8,000 WeatherBug Tracking Stations across the U.S., including approximately 220 along Katrina's projected path. Approximately 1,500 WeatherBug stations densely populate typical hurricane pathways throughout the U.S. Coastal Plain. This encompasses the Northeast through the Mid-Atlantic down through the Carolinas, Florida and back along the Gulf Coast, including Southeastern Texas. Data is available 24x7, anywhere and anytime via the Internet or via select wireless carriers and 100 radio and TV broadcast partners across the U.S. WeatherBug Zoom broadcast partners in Katrina's path include WTVJ (NBC) and WSCV (TEL) in Miami, WZVN (ABC) and WBBH (NBC) in Fort Myers and WFTS (ABC) and WFTX (ABC) in Tampa.
When:
24x7 throughout Tropical Storm Katrina and the 2005 Hurricane Season.
Why:
WeatherBug's data has been proven to save property and lives with unprecedented precision and reliability. As the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season enters its peak, Max Mayfield, director of the NOAA National Hurricane Center, says, "Residents and government agencies of coastal and near-coastal regions should embrace hurricane preparedness efforts and should be ready well before a tropical storm or hurricane watch is posted."
People need reliable weather data relevant to their location. WeatherBug is often the only weather source that can provide truly local data, at the neighborhood level. Alternative sources are based upon computer modeling from hourly airport data. Hurricanes can differ greatly in intensity, even over a few miles distance, so this precision and accuracy is crucial when people are confined to their homes or have evacuated and are trying to determine whether their neighborhood or residents are in harm's way.
"Knowing precisely where a hurricane will strike and at what intensity cannot be determined even a few days in advance," adds Mayfield.
Note to Editors, these meteorologists are available to speak to the media 24x7.
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