What is NOAA's Storm QuickLook?

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:

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.