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What is NOAA's Storm QuickLook?

NOAA's Storm QuickLook provides near real-time ocean and meteorological conditions during a tropical storm.

screen shot of Storm QuickLook

This Storm QuickLook, generated in July, 2019, shows Hurricane Barry approaching the Gulf of Mexico coastline. The QuickLook is part of NOAA's Coastal Inundation Dashboard.

When NOAA's National Weather Service issues a tropical storm warning for the U.S. or its territories, the Storm QuickLook is activated. This free online tool is a snapshot of near real-time coastal and weather observations for areas affected by a storm.

As the name suggests, the Storm QuickLook provides a ‘quick look’ at how a storm is affecting the coast. Here are some of the details provided:

  • Real-time water level and meteorological observations along the coast
  • GIS map integrating storm track and intensity, satellite imagery, and NOS water level station locations
  • Summary of present conditions across the affected region
  • Predicted high tides at specific locations along the coast
  • Latest NOAA Weather Service Public Advisory Text

QuickLook is served up by the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, NOAA's tides and currents experts. It is a component of the Coastal Inundation Dashboard. Prior to the 2019 hurricane season, water level information in the path of a storm was disseminated through a separate, stand-alone product called Storm Quicklook.

In 2019, the Storm QuickLook was integrated into the Coastal Inundation Dashboard, delivered as a customized map-based web product. The Dashboard brings together key NOS products and data from over 200 long-term coastal water level stations into one web tool that can help coastal communities monitor and prepare for all types of coastal flooding, from high tide flooding to storm-driven flooding. The tool provides real-time water level information, 48-hour forecasts of water levels, and historic flooding information — all together in one place.

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Last updated: 01/20/23
Author: NOAA
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