Oceanweather (OWI) have recently completed short-term hindcast reanalyses of hurricanes Helene and Milton, from which data products are now available. OWI routinely produces “fast-response” tropical cyclone hindcasts for significant storms in order to support hurricane recovery activities and to improve future resiliency. Detailed reanalysis of the conditions experienced in a strong offshore and/or land-falling hurricane are essential for accurate ocean response modeling designed provide critical guidance on the extent of the storm wave and surge inundation. Wind, pressure, and/or OWI’s standard bulk wave parameter fields or timeseries for these events are available.

GOES satellite image of Hurricane Milton approaching landfall in Florida with the corresponding NHC forecast and warnings. (NOAA, NHC & OWI)

As experts in providing meteorological forcing for ocean response modeling of extreme wind, wave and storm surge events, OWI has a long history of quickly responding to the need for hindcasts of recent or active tropical events. This expertise is also applied in long-term operational and storm hindcasts in public and private sectors around the globe.

OWI’s tropical cyclone hindcast expertise, experience, and capabilities are well documented in publications, presentations and existing metocean studies. Similar previous fast-response hindcasts include Katrina and Rita in 2005, Sandy in 2012, Harvey in 2017, Laura in 2020, and other landmark storms affecting the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. These hindcasts have been used by industry and academia, often as the source of high quality reference winds for detailed storm surge modeling. Further details and related papers can be found on our website at the following links:

• Fast Response Tropical Modeling

• Publications and Presentations

Those wishing to obtain fast response tropical storm hindcast data can contact Erin Harris via email at erinh@oceanweather.com or by phone at 1-203-661-3091.