Avian Flu Diary: NHC: Hurricane Watch Issued For Florida East Coast

#11,992

At 11am EDT the National Hurricane Center posted a Hurricane Watch for part of the Southeastern Florida coast. Specifically from Deerfield Beach, Florida to the Volusia/Brevard county line.

A Hurricane Watch is defined as:

Hurricane Watch: An announcement that hurricane conditions are possible within the specified area.

Because outside preparedness activities become difficult once winds reach tropical storm force, watches are issued 48 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds.

Action: During a watch, prepare your home and review your plan for evacuation in case a Hurricane or Tropical Storm Warning is issued. Listen closely to instructions from local officials.

If the storm continues on its projected course, in 12 to 24 hours the NHC will likely post a Hurricane Warning. A Hurricane warning is defined as:

Hurricane Warning: An announcement that hurricane conditions are expected within the specified area.

Because outside preparedness activities become difficult once winds reach tropical storm force, warnings are issued 36 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds.

Action: During a warning, complete storm preparations and immediately leave the threatened area if directed by local officials.

These watches and warnings will likely be extended northward along the Southeastern coast over the next 12-48 hours depending on the storm's movements and computer models.

Additionally, a Tropical Storm watch has been posed from the 7-mile Bridge in the Florida Keys to Deerfield Beach.

The latest model runs have moved the track slightly east. These models tend to bounce around a bit from one run to the next, so we'll have to wait to see if this trend continues.

It is too soon to know what - if any - impact Matthew will have on the Mid-Atlantic or New England states, but interests there should monitor this storm.

Meanwhile Tropical Storm Nicole has formed in the Atlantic, and is forecast to stay at sea.

If you haven’t already downloaded the updated Tropical Cyclone Preparedness Guide, now would be an excellent time to do so. You'll find additional preparedness information in my Hurricane Preparedness 2016 post from last May.

When it comes to getting the latest information on hurricanes, your first stop should always be the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. These are the real experts, and the only ones you should rely on to track and forecast the storm.