Media Mayhem at NHC: Getting the Message Out While Keeping the Media Happy

The mission of NOAA's National Hurricane Center is to save lives, mitigate property loss, and improve economic efficiency. This is done through the issuance of the best analysis, forecasts, watches and warnings of hazardous tropical weather, and by increasing the awareness and understanding of these hazards through global outreach.

The media is an important partner of the National Hurricane Center. During the offseason hurricane months, NHC personnel attend conferences and tour the coastline via the hurricane hunter aircraft, conducting numerous media interviews and presentations to stress the importance of preparation. During a landfalling hurricane event, particularly one along the U.S. coastline, there is a very high media demand for live interviews and information, whether it is local, national or international. NHC has developed a media plan for such a situation.

This presentation will explore the relationship between the media and the National Hurricane Center during both the off season and in season hurricane months, with a concentration on a landfalling U.S. hurricane event and the resulting media pool operation, including the use of new technology such as the Internet, audio podcasts, and social networks.