NWS Announces Changes to Hurricane Warning System

Published: Apr 5, 2013, 10:29 AM EDT weather.com

New Rules for Tropical Warnings

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/nws-alters-hurricane-alerts-20130404

On Thursday, the National Weather Service announced changes to its post-tropical cyclone warning information, broadening the definitions of hurricane and tropical storm watches and warnings. Under the new guidelines, which will take effect on June 1, watches and warnings can be issued or remain in effect after a cyclone becomes post-tropical.

NOAA Photo

This NOAA GOES-13 satellite image taken on October 29, 2012 shows Sandy off the coast of Delaware and New Jersey.

This comes after a decision was made to drop hurricane warnings on Superstorm Sandy when it became post-tropical last October. Sandy was just dozens of miles from making a landfall when the storm lost its hurricane status, and thus, lost its hurricane watches and warnings.
That will not be a problem in similar situations in the future, thanks to the decision to change the guidelines.
"I would like to thank everyone for their open and candid feedback on this proposal," said Rick Knabb, Ph.D., director of NOAA's National Hurricane Center, in a press release. "Keeping communities safe when a storm threatens is truly a team effort and this change reflects that collaboration."
The National Hurricane Center has a deeper explanation of the new watches and warnings, as well as an example of how the new system will be used.

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Long Beach Island, N.J.

Associated Press

In this aerial photograph, heavy equipment pushes sand to restore a barrier dune along the Atlantic Ocean on Long Beach Island, N.J., Friday, Nov. 9, 2012, after the region was pounded by Superstorm Sandy the previous week.