U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE/ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL COORDINATOR FOR METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES AND SUPPORTING RESEARCH National Hurricane Operations Plan FCM-P12-2021 Washington, DC May 2021 Hurricane Epsilon, courtesy of NOAA. FEDERAL COORDINATOR FOR METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES AND SUPPORTING RESEARCH 1325 East-West Highway, SSMC2 Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 301-628-0112 NATIONAL HURRICANE OPERATIONS PLAN FCM-P12-2021 Washington, D.C. May 2021 CHANGE AND REVIEW LOG Use this page to record changes and notices of reviews. Change Page Numbers Date Posted Initials Number (mm/dd/yyyy) 1. D-1, F-17, L-1 5/21/2021 EEM 2. 3-5, 5-1, 5-7, 5-11, 5-12, 5- 6/7/2021 EEM 18, G-2, G-3, G-10, G-24 3. 4. 5. Changes are indicated by a vertical line in the margin next to the change or by shading and strikeouts. No. Review Date Comments Initials (mm/dd/yyyy) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. iv NATIONAL HURRICANE OPERATIONS PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS CHANGE AND REVIEW LOG ................................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... xi LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1 General. .................................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Scope. ..................................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Authority. ............................................................................................................................... 1-1 CHAPTER 2: RESPONSIBILITIES OF COOPERATING FEDERAL AGENCIES ................ 2-1 2.1. General. ................................................................................................................................. 2-1 2.2. DOC Responsibilities............................................................................................................ 2-1 2.2.1. Forecasting and Warning Services. ............................................................................ 2-1 2.2.2. Support to DOD. ........................................................................................................ 2-1 2.2.3. Post Analysis of Tropical Cyclones. .......................................................................... 2-2 2.2.4. Environmental Satellite Systems. .............................................................................. 2-2 2.2.5. Data Buoy Systems. ................................................................................................... 2-3 2.2.6. Weather Reconnaissance. .......................................................................................... 2-3 2.3. DOD Responsibilities. .......................................................................................................... 2-3 2.4. DOT and DHS Responsibilities. ........................................................................................... 2-4 2.4.1.Information Dissemination. ........................................................................................ 2-4 2.4.2. Flight Assistance. ....................................................................................................... 2-4 2.4.3. U. S. Coast Guard. ..................................................................................................... 2-4 2.5. Annual Liaison with Other Nations. ..................................................................................... 2-4 2.6. Air Traffic Control/Flight Operations Coordination............................................................. 2-5 2.6.1. Gulf of Mexico Weather Reconnaissance.............................................................. 2-5 2.6.2. Air Traffic Control Assistance. .............................................................................. 2-5 CHAPTER 3: GENERAL OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HURRICANE CENTERS ..................................................................... 3-1 3.1. General. ................................................................................................................................. 3-1 3.2. Products................................................................................................................................. 3-1 v 3.2.1. Tropical Weather Outlook (TWO). ............................................................................ 3-1 3.2.2. Tropical Cyclone Public Advisories (TCP). .............................................................. 3-1 3.2.3. Tropical Cyclone Forecast/Advisories (TCM). ......................................................... 3-2 3.2.4. Tropical Cyclone Discussions (TCD). ....................................................................... 3-2 3.2.5. Tropical Cyclone Updates (TCU). ............................................................................. 3-2 3.2.6. Graphical Tropical Cyclone Surface Wind Speed Probabilities. ............................... 3-3 3.2.7. Tropical Cyclone Surface Wind Speed Probabilities Text Product (PWS). .............. 3-3 3.2.8. Tropical Cyclone Watch Warning Product (TCV). ................................................... 3-3 3.2.9. Weather Prediction Center (WPC) Public Advisories (TCP). ................................... 3-4 3.2.10. Other Tropical Cyclone Products............................................................................. 3-4 3.2.11. NHC and CPHC Continuance of Advisories and Products for Post-Tropical Cyclones. .............................................................................................................................. 3-4 3.3. Numbering and Naming of Tropical and Subtropical Cyclones. .......................................... 3-4 3.3.1. Atlantic Basin............................................................................................................. 3-5 3.3.2. Pacific East of 140°W. ............................................................................................... 3-5 3.3.3. Pacific West of 140°W and East of 180°. .................................................................. 3-5 3.3.4. Pacific West of 180° and North of 0°. ....................................................................... 3-6 3.3.5. South Pacific South of Equator and East of 160°E. ................................................... 3-6 3.3.6. Subtropical Depressions............................................................................................. 3-6 3.4. Transfer of Warning Responsibility...................................................................................... 3-6 3.4.1. NHC to CPHC............................................................................................................ 3-6 3.4.2. CPHC to JTWC/(RSMC, Tokyo)/WFO Guam. ........................................................ 3-6 3.4.3. JTWC/RSMC, Tokyo to CPHC. ................................................................................ 3-6 3.5. Alternate Warning Responsibilities. ..................................................................................... 3-6 3.5.1. Transfer to Alternate. ................................................................................................. 3-6 3.5.2. Notification. ............................................................................................................... 3-7 3.6. Abbreviated Communications Headings. ........................................................................... 3-15 3.7.Hurricane Liaison Team (HLT). .......................................................................................... 3-16 3.7.1. National Weather Service (NWS) Responsibilities. ................................................ 3-16 3.7.2. Activation/Deployment. ........................................................................................... 3-17 3.7.3. Training. ................................................................................................................... 3-17 3.7.4. Meteorological Duties. ............................................................................................. 3-17 3.7.5. Hydrologic Duties. ................................................................................................... 3-17 vi CHAPTER 4: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PRODUCTS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE .................................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.1. General. ................................................................................................................................. 4-1 4.2. Observations. ........................................................................................................................ 4-1 4.3. Tropical Cyclone Forecast/Advisories. ................................................................................. 4-1 4.3.1. General. ...................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.3.2. Numbering of Tropical and Subtropical Cyclone Forecast/Advisories. .................... 4-1 4.3.3. Tropical Cyclone Forecast/Advisory Content. .........................................................