Why do weather hazards matter?

Weather hazards impact the entire country, with enormous effects on the economy and public safety. Since 1980, weather/climate disasters have cost the U.S. economy more than $1 trillion.^[1] Several billion-dollar weather/climate disasters affect the United States in an average year.^[2]

How does geoscience help inform decisions about weather and climate hazards?

Geoscientists who study weather patterns, also known as meteorologists, closely monitor weather conditions in order to issue warnings and make recommendations to the public and emergency managers. They also combine these observations with computer models of the Earth's atmosphere, land, and oceans to predict how weather is likely to change in the future.

References

¹Billion-Dollar Weather/Climate Disasters: Overview, NOAA, www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/overview

²Billion-Dollar Weather/Climate Disasters: Table of Events, NOAA, www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/events

Maps & Visualizations

Interactive map of real-time flood information for Texas

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey's Water On The Go app provides real-time information on stream flows, lake levels, and rainfall in Texas. The app automatically finds data near your current location (or any chosen location in Texas) for rapid access to water information. Special icons indicate rapidly...

Interactive map of real-time flood information for Texas

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey's Water On The Go app provides real-time information on stream flows, lake levels, and rainfall in Texas. The app automatically finds data near your current location (or any chosen location in Texas) for rapid access to water information. Special icons indicate rapidly...

Interactive map of real-time and forecast information for coasts and oceans

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's nowCOAST web app provides real-time observations, forecasts, and warnings for a wide range of coastal and inland weather, water, air, and hazard issues. Available layers and services include: Weather forecasts Hour-by-hour forecasts...

Interactive map of real-time and forecast information for coasts and oceans

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's nowCOAST web app provides real-time observations, forecasts, and warnings for a wide range of coastal and inland weather, water, air, and hazard issues. Available layers and services include: Weather forecasts Hour-by-hour forecasts...

Interactive map of coastal geoscience information in Maryland

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Coastal Atlas provides a large amount of information on coastal issues in Maryland. The interactive map includes: Coastal resiliency assessments and sea level rise vulnerability Storm surge predictions for category 1-to-5 hurricanes Rates of...

Interactive map of coastal geoscience information in Maryland

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Coastal Atlas provides a large amount of information on coastal issues in Maryland. The interactive map includes: Coastal resiliency assessments and sea level rise vulnerability Storm surge predictions for category 1-to-5 hurricanes Rates of...

Interactive map of natural hazards in Nevada

Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology

The Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology's MyHAZARDS web app provides information on earthquakes, floods, fires, and other natural hazards in interactive map form. The map covers all of Nevada, as well as portions of surrounding states for certain datasets. The map includes: Recent and...

Interactive map of natural hazards in Nevada

Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology

The Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology's MyHAZARDS web app provides information on earthquakes, floods, fires, and other natural hazards in interactive map form. The map covers all of Nevada, as well as portions of surrounding states for certain datasets. The map includes: Recent and...

Interactive map of coastal change hazards in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey's Coastal Change Hazards Portal provides an interactive map showing the hazards posed to U.S. coasts from extreme storms, shoreline change, and sea-level rise. The map includes: Probabilities of collision, overwash, and inundation from nor'easters (Atlantic coast) and...

Interactive map of coastal change hazards in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey's Coastal Change Hazards Portal provides an interactive map showing the hazards posed to U.S. coasts from extreme storms, shoreline change, and sea-level rise. The map includes: Probabilities of collision, overwash, and inundation from nor'easters (Atlantic coast) and...

Interactive map of coastal and marine geoscience features in the United States

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Marine Cadastre National Viewer is a joint product of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The viewer contains an enormous amount of information relevant to marine and coastal issues in interactive map form. Over 275...

Interactive map of coastal and marine geoscience features in the United States

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Marine Cadastre National Viewer is a joint product of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The viewer contains an enormous amount of information relevant to marine and coastal issues in interactive map form. Over 275...

Interactive map of historical hurricane tracks

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Historical Hurricane Tracks tool shows the tracks and characteristics of over 6,000 tropical cyclones around the world dating back to 1842.   In addition to the hurricane tracks, users can explore the category, wind speed, and minimum...

Interactive map of historical hurricane tracks

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Historical Hurricane Tracks tool shows the tracks and characteristics of over 6,000 tropical cyclones around the world dating back to 1842.   In addition to the hurricane tracks, users can explore the category, wind speed, and minimum...

Visualization of a predictive model for weather hazards

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) has created a visualization of their high-resolution global ocean-atmosphere-land-ice FLOR model. The FLOR model uses ocean, atmospheric, and other water-related data to improve understanding...

Interactive map of weather hazard warnings in the United States

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service Watch, Warning, and Advisory Display map shows up-to-date weather warnings and advisories for the continental U.S. The map covers a wide range of weather hazards including tornadoes, thunderstorms, hurricanes, tropical...

Interactive map of weather hazard warnings in the United States

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service Watch, Warning, and Advisory Display map shows up-to-date weather warnings and advisories for the continental U.S. The map covers a wide range of weather hazards including tornadoes, thunderstorms, hurricanes, tropical...

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