U.S. Weather Research Program Hurricane Landfall Workshop Report

The U. S. Weather Research Program (USWRP) effort on hurricane landfall is focused on what the meteorological research community can contribute to a reduction in the nation's vulnerability to dangerous and costly impacts. Because of the growth in population (4.5% per year) and industry along the coast from Texas to Miami, the U. S. has become more vulnerable to tropical cyclones (TC). In coastal communities with limited escape routes, the emergency manager community must have accurate forecasts of coastal areas that will suffer damage, when the winds will exceed gale- force (35 kt) and heavy precipitation will arrive so that all disaster preparedness activities and evacuations can be completed safely. Another key forecast challenge is to predict the inner-core wind field (including maximum surface winds, or intensity) because the most intense hurricanes (categories 4 and 5)cause 80% of all damage. The inland flooding from the storm surge an heavy precipitation, localized regions of extreme wind damage, and severe local storms including tornadoes all depend on the inner-core wind field that is rapidly changing as the hurricane makes landfall