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In 2005, wind-induced structural damage from Hurricane Katrina resulted in extensive energy supply disruptions across the Gulf of Mexico. In this paper, we examine the resilience of these systems with a particular emphasis on the electric power delivery systems. We investigate the correlations of the power outage data with weather parameters such as wind speed, rainfall, and storm surge. We examine the resilience and recovery of the electric delivery system spatially and temporally and compare the results with other natural disasters. We conclude that the behavior of the delivery systems under hurricane loadings is affected by rainfall and storm surge as well as wind speed. Widespread failures may occur at wind speeds less than predicted peak values. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)EY.1943-7897.0000028 CE Database subject headings: Electric power; Disaster recovery; Hurricanes; Restoration. Author keywords: Electric power outages; Disaster recovery; Hurricanes; Resilience; Restoration.

Author(s): Mark D. Powell (corresponding author) [1]; Peter J. Vickery [2]; Timothy A. Reinhold [3] In strong winds, momentum exchange at the sea surface is described by a sea-state-dependent drag [...]

The Hurricane Research Division (HRD) is NOAA's primary component for research on tropical cyclones. In accomplishing research goals, many staff members have developed analysis procedures and forecast models that not only help improve the understanding of hurricane structure, motion, and intensity change, but also provide operational support for forecasters at the National Hurricane Center (NHC). During the 1993 hurricane season, HRD demonstrated three important real-time capabilities for the first time. These achievements included the successful transmission of a series of color radar reflectivity images from the NOAA research aircraft to NHC, the operational availability of objective mesoscale streamline and isotach analyses of a hurricane surface wind field, and the transition of the experimental dropwindsonde program on the periphery of hurricanes to a technology capable of supporting operational requirements. Examples of these and other real-time capabilities are presented for Hurricane Emily.

The National Weather Service, as a part of its modernization effort, is implementing the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS). Much discussion has occurred about various aspects of ASOS versus the current system of manual and automated observations. Based upon a study of the ASOS specifications and an informal survey of potential ASOS winddata users, defects of the wind sampling and archival strategy chosen for ASOS are discussed in terms of their impact on various user groups. Limitations include: 1) hourly observation average periods that do not conform to international recommendations for wind reporting made by the World Meteorological Organization, 2) no regular archival of high-resolution data - potentially valuable research data are destroyed if not identified within a 12-h period, and 3) no emergency power for operation in severe weather conditions. An alternative sampling and archiving strategy is recommended that benefits a wider cross section of users, without detracting from aviation and forecast service requirements, at a cost of less than 1% of the original ASOS portion of the weather service modernization budget.

The U.S. Sailing Team competed successfully at the 1991 Pan American Games despite having no previous experience with the sailing conditions off Havana, Cuba. One of the key factors in the team's success was meteorological support in the form of wind climate analysis; application of sea breeze forecasting typical of the south Florida area, modified by tropical weather systems; and effective preregatta briefing.