This paper descibes the development of the Vortex Objective Radar Tracking and Circulation (VORTRAC) package. Using the level II coastal WSR-88D data, VORTRAC tracks intensity (central pressure) and radius of maximum wind of landfalling tropical cyclones retrieved from the ground-based velocity track display technique (GBVTD) and the hurricane volume velocity processing method (HVVP). The VORTRAC work has been focused on (1) the design and implementation of a user interface using the Qt tool kit, and (2) implementation of the radar data quality control algorithm on NEXRAD level-II data to be used in the overall VORTRAC package.

Examples of Hurricane Charley (2004) will be presented. VORTRAC has been installed at the National Hurricane Center

in summer 2007. We will present cases captured this hurricane season.