WBZ Weather Almanac

Windforce4: A New Look at Hurricane Winds

Isaac Ginis, Accurate Environmental Forecasting, Narragansett, RI

With population and development increasing along our coast, more people and property are vulnerable to hurricanes than ever before. Recent powerful strikes including Charley, Ivan, Frances and Jeanne caused dozens of deaths and significant destruction in the United States alone. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the total insured losses could reach $22 billion.

We cannot stop hurricanes, but our vulnerability can be reduced through preparedness. When a tropical threat develops, TV forecasters, like the WBZ Weather Team, keep the public informed on the storm's progress and potential impacts. Over the last decade, there have been significant strides in hurricane tracking and intensity predictions. Still, scientists are continually working to improve knowledge of hurricane motion and strength. Thanks to new technology called Windforce4, developed by Accurate Environmental Forecasting, the WBZ Weather Team can now warn viewers about these dangerous storms in ways never possible before. Windforce4 provides the most accurate wind field representation to date of a hurricane (called a "wind footprint? before and during landfall. For the first time, the public can get critical information about wind speeds INSIDE a hurricane to better prepare and react to the threat.

Windforce4 is created by a numerical weather prediction model used by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) for official hurricane warnings. The model ingests all available real-time observational data describing hurricane intensity, location and structure. The model then combines it with highly detailed satellite-derived information about local topography, land use and the surrounding atmosphere. The result is a map showing the magnitude and direction of winds based on the latest NHC update. The circular shaded area depicts winds projected to exceed tropical storm strength. Brighter colors closer to the center of the storm indicate stronger winds exceeding hurricane force (greater than 73mph). These easy to understand images provide incredibly specific wind data, helping residents take smart action to safeguard life and property.

Dr. Isaac Ginis, Chairman and Co-CEO of Accurate Environmental Forecasting, Inc. and Professor of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, has an international reputation as a leading expert in modeling and forecasting of hurricanes. He was named Environmental Hero for 2002 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.