Forecast rainfall maps are now available to TSR subscribers, alongside wind and gust footprints, for hurricanes and tropical cyclones worldwide.
A tropical disturbance can generate torrential rains which often have more devastating consequences (floods, landslides, mudslides) compared to the damage from high winds. Unlike the wind, the intensity of rainfall is not linked to the intensity of the disturbance. Relatively weak tropical low-pressure systems (eg tropical depressions,) can result in heavier rains than mature cyclones. Even for systems of similar intensity, rainfall can vary a lot from one cyclone to another.
In August 2017 Hurricane Harvey, one of the most damaging hurricanes on record, made landfall near Rockport in Texas. After a second landfall event the storm lingered over eastern Texas depositing in places over a metre of rain, peaking at 1,539mm at Hederland. The storm caused $125 billion in damage, primarily from catastrophic rainfall-triggered flooding in the Houston metropolitan area and Southeast Texas, making it equivalent to Katrina in impact and the costliest natural disaster recorded in Texas at the time.
Footprints showing forecast rainfall are now available from TSR alongside the wind and gust footprints. Maps in a range of formats are available for incorporation into GIS tools, showing the forecast precipitation levels at each advisory. The layers, which are based on the GFS forecast model, are available for download from the TSR website on a subscription basis either separately or including the wind footprints.
Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) is one of the leading organisations around the world providing accurate forecasts of hurricanes, tropical storms and cyclones. TSR storm alerts provide advanced warning of the locations likely to be affected, up to 5 days ahead. The TSR storm footprints offer unrivalled accuracy in identifying the likely wind strengths across affected areas, together with the timing of landfall and probabilities of damaging winds. Footprints are available in GIS formats allowing them to be automatically integrated into a client’s risk management tools.
TSR, delivered by EuroTempest, works with aid agencies, governments, energy, finance and marine organisations around the world helping them manage the real-time risks associated with live tropical storms. These forecast windfields and rainfall maps allow operational and risk management to identify areas where action needs to be taken to protect lives and infrastructure.
To find out more, contact: nick.wood@eurotempest.com