Hurricane Forecasting at the National Hurricane Center: Keeping the Americas Safe from the World's Most Destructive Storms

A talk and public discussion by Dr. Chris Landsea
Friday, June 6th at 8:00 p.m. in the Museum Space Gallery

The National Hurricane Center issues analyses, forecasts and warnings over large parts of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, affecting not just the US but many nearby countries. Advances in observational capabilities, operational numerical weather prediction, and forecaster tools and support systems over the past 15-20 years have enabled the Center to make more accurate forecasts, extend forecast lead times, and provide new products and services. However, despite these advances, important limitations in hurricane forecasting persist. Dr. Chris Landsea of the National Hurricane Center discusses the current state of the nation’s hurricane warning program, highlighting recent improvements and the enabling science and technology. The presentation concludes with a look ahead at opportunities for addressing the remaining challenges.


Also with us tonight as part our FYI lecture is Jim Mathie, Board Chairman and founder of Hurricane Warning, a non-profit organization located at the Disaster Survival House in Deerfield Beach, dedicated to educating residents to prepare for a disaster. Jim will be on hand after the lecture by Dr. Landsea to answer questions related to hurricane preparation.



About Dr. Landsea

Dr. Landsea's main expertise is in the seasonal forecasting of hurricanes, hurricane climate variability, and the testing of applied research projects for possible use in weather forecasting. He currently serves as Science and Operations Officer at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, responsible for the monitoring and forecasting of hurricanes. Previously, as Research Meteorologist, he participated in the Hurricane Field Program, flying Orion P-3 and Gulfstream IV aircraft in and around 15 Atlantic hurricanes, including Ivan, and Katrina. He has published over 35 scholarly articles in leading peer-reviewed journals including Nature, Science, the Journal of Climate, and Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics, and has also authored chapters for several books.

Dr. Landsea received his Bachelor's Degree in Atmospheric Science from the University of California Los Angeles in 1987, and his Master's Degree and Doctorate in Atmospheric Science from Colorado State University in 1991 and 1994, studying under Dr. Bill Gray, one of the world's leading experts on hurricanes and tropical meteorology.

Dr. Landsea is a member of the American Meteorological Society (AMS), the National Weather Association, and the American Geophysical Union. He served as the Chair of the AMS Committee on Tropical Meteorology and Tropical Cyclones for the years 2000-2002. Dr. Landsea has received numerous awards for his research, including the AMS's Miller Award, for best contribution to the science of hurricane and tropical weather forecasting, and the U.S. Department of Commerce Bronze Medal "for issuing the accurate and first official physically-based Atlantic seasonal hurricane outlooks for the 1998/1999 seasons, based upon new research".


For more information about the MiaSci FYI Lecture Series Click Here