Brian LaMarre (Inspire Weather) – Hurricane Ian: A Case for Impact-Based, Probabilistic Decision Support Services for Emergency Management and Public Safety
Brian LaMarre discusses Hurricane Ian and the role of impact-based, probabilistic forecasts in supporting emergency management and public safety decisions.
Hurricane Ian made landfall as an intense Category 4 hurricane on September 28, 2022, on the southwest coast of Florida in the United States, claiming 156 lives in the U.S., including 66 direct fatalities in Florida. Drowning in storm surge waters was the primary cause of death. This presentation highlights how the National Weather Service worked proactively to prepare the public through engagement with core partners in media and emergency management before, during and after the storm. Public perception, based on lived experiences from past storms impacting the region, was a factor in the overall response. Additionally, there was a lack of understanding of how small changes in track can result in significant differences in impact based on the angle of approach of a hurricane moving toward Florida's north-south oriented coastline.