  |
|
|
|
Storm Tide Stations Guard SeashoreHardened Water Level Observing Platforms Part of National System
Water level observing stations measure storm and severe weather conditions allowing development of accurate forecasts to support coastal public safety.
Boaters have a selfish interest in monitoring storm tides and severe weather conditions. Storms put vessels at sea in harm's way. Moored boats risk damage from tidal surges or high winds. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration operates a national system of water level observing stations to provide real-time water level and weather data. Data from these stations are required for accurate marine weather and flood forecasts. NOAA Sentinel Storm Tide StationsThe first of four hurricane hardened storm tide stations was installed in the Gulf of Mexico in August 2008 at Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. These new observation platforms are being constructed to replace equipment destroyed by recent hurricanes. The stations stand 25 feet (7.2 meters) out of the water, with an array of instruments and sensors mounted on a four-foot (1.2 meter) diameter piling driven some 70 feet (21.3 meters) into the seafloor. Designed to withstand a Category 4 hurricane, these hardened structures are also being installed at Calcasieu Pass, Amerada Pass, and Shell Beach, Louisiana. A Category 4 hurricane has winds ranging from 131 to 155 miles per mile (210 to 249 kilometers per hour). Replacements are to be completed in the fall of 2008. In comments released by NOAA for the dedication of the first Sentinel installation, National Ocean Service Assistant Administrator John H. Dunnigan said, "NOAA is committed to providing the public accurate, real-time ocean and coastal water and weather data to support public safety, navigation and commerce. These new NOAA Sentinels will ensure that critical water and wind information is available during severe storms, when it’s needed most." The National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON)The NOAA Sentinel water level observing stations being installed in the Gulf of Mexico are part of a larger national system of 175 operational stations found across the United States and its possessions. This system is known as the National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON). Not only do the water level observation stations assist in storm weather forecasting, they form the reference stations needed for accurate tide predictions. The stations are equipped to measure meteorological data like wind speed, temperature, and air pressure. New technology allows data coming from the stations to be distributed in real-time using GEOS satellite telemetry to interested scientists. The boating public can view the station data online. Taking advantage of the installed NWLON data-gathering infrastructure, many other important safety programs depend on water level station observations. These include the Tsunami Warning System, Storm Surge Warning System, and Physical Oceanographic Real-Time Systems (PORTS) programs. Efforts like the installation of the NOAA Sentinels improves the safety of vessels operating at sea, allow boaters time to safely secure their boats, and provide early warning of approaching storms to waterfront residents.
The copyright of the article Storm Tide Stations Guard Seashore in Boat Safety & Maintenance is owned by Alan Sorum. Permission to republish Storm Tide Stations Guard Seashore in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
