National Hurricane Center meteorologists are creating a new tool that can significantly help hurricane prone areas make pre-storm preparations.

The National Hurricane Center is putting storm surge data online to help emergency managers determine if their areas will be flooded by coastal waters surging during hurricanes.  This data will be available to the public online helping businesses and homeowners predict the probability of a storm surge affecting property, and vacationers in coastal destinations, like the Outer Banks will have a tool to help predict the impact of the approaching storm. 

The tool will combine graphic computer modeling with Google mapping to help the user find, as an example, the probability that a storm will deliver an 8 foot storm surge to our beach.  Storm surge is generally the most fatal factor of any major Hurricane.  Storm surges were responsible for killing an estimated 1500 people during Hurricane Katrina.  The probability indicator will use approximately 250 different computer models of a storm that will be able to predict a number of aspects of Hurricane damage.  For example, the machine might predict a 60 percent chance of a 9 foot surge, suggesting that the owner of a beachfront house on 8 foot pilings should take precaution.