Source: US Geological Survey
The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 through November 30. To ensure readiness, USGS team members meet monthly during the offseason to update members on improvements, processes and new research, said Athena Clark, the team leader and USGS science advisor for the Southeast Region.
“Information gained from each storm continually advances our science capabilities to improve preparedness, reduce risk, and enhance our resilience to respond to the next storm event,” she said. “Our multidisciplinary team works year-round to enhance our nation’s preparedness for hurricanes and other coastal hazards to ensure we provide the comprehensive science and information needed by those who make emergency management and safety decisions quickly to help protect lives and property.”
An extremely active Atlantic hurricane season kept the Coastal Storm Team busy for most of 2024. According to the National Hurricane Center, 11 hurricanes formed during last year’s Atlantic hurricane season with five making landfall in the continental U.S., two as major hurricanes. The 2025 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center Atlantic hurricane season forecast predicts this year is also expected to be an above-normal season.
When storms threaten the U.S. coastline, the Coastal Storm Team, composed of experts from USGS, the National Hurricane Center, and other agencies, springs into action to share information and help communities prepare. Originally started as a small coordination call three decades ago, the team has expanded to nearly 790 members, improving communication and situational awareness during storms.
“Having representatives from the National Weather Service, FEMA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on these calls provides valuable real-time updates that help decision-makers track flood impacts and assist affected communities quickly,” Clark said. “These calls give us the opportunity to highlight USGS and other agency products that have been created to help communities and emergency managers make informed decisions about a particular event.”
Clark explained that during the Coastal Storm Team calls, she not only promotes USGS people and capabilities, but also promotes other agencies that USGS coordinates with by sharing their dashboards and work as part of a national effort.
“I see these calls as a time for true information exchange so we all can do our jobs better,” she said. “The bottom line is our mission is to provide data to help protect lives and property.”
Clark became assistant to the Coastal Storm Team leader in 2016 and, as fate would have it, the team leader went on leave later that year right when Hurricane Matthew struck the coast – thrusting her into the leadership chair. She said the team and her survived her “trial by fire,” and she learned some valuable lessons during that experience.
“During a contingency, we don’t have the time or the luxury to fully figure out processes and procedures, so we began scheduling monthly internal USGS hurricane calls throughout the year to help us improve our coordination,” she said. “Most science centers that may have a role during storms have someone participate in our monthly calls as we look for ways to make our online public presence more streamlined and improved.”
Clark believes the Storm Team’s success stems from its collaborative platform, which allows for sharing vital information and assistance.
“These Storm Team calls provide situational awareness to various responding agencies while showcasing USGS products that help communities and emergency managers make informed decisions,” she stated. “For instance, during Hurricane Debbie, a local emergency manager from Georgia requested Rapid Deployment Gauges, and the team quickly deployed them to track real-time water levels.”
The Coastal Storm Team responds to hurricanes, tropical storms, Nor’easters, and even atmospheric river events, particularly along the Pacific Coast and in Hawaii.
“If it’s going to affect the U.S. coastline, which USGS oversees, we will activate a Storm Team call and respond,” Clark said.
The team also manages multi-hazard events like what happened during Hurricane Helene in September 2024, which transitioned from a coastal event to significant inland flooding and landslides.
“Some events begin on the coast and then head inland and cause major flooding and landslides, so we coordinated information for each of these events before we passed the torch and handed off the hazards to both the Flood Team and the Landslide Team to continue coordination efforts,” she said. “It’s essential that we work together as one USGS to accomplish our goals.”
Based on a storm’s forecast intensity and track, the Storm Team decides the timing and extent of the bureau’s storm response. Once it’s determined a hurricane or tropical storm will likely strike somewhere in the U.S., the team leaders decide whether it’s necessary and safe to deploy USGS field crews to the storm’s projected path along the coast to aid in data collecting.
“If deployed, one of the main tasks for the field crews is to install special water-level measuring instruments called storm tide sensors,” said Clark. “These sensors record data that track storm tides and coastal flooding. That information helps public officials assess storm damage, tell the difference between wind and flood damage, and helps USGS and NOAA scientists improve storm surge and coastal change forecast models.”
Over the years, USGS has added hundreds of Coastal Storm Team members to the roster. This ever-expanding roster has led to new relationships and coordination planning between USGS and other federal agencies. For example, NASA and USGS Geospatial Information Response Team meet monthly to coordinate response planning and share information.
After nearly a decade of leadership and countless long hours during dozens of storms and hazardous events, Clark said she’s proud of the fact that the Coastal Storm Team plays a pivotal role in safeguarding lives and property during storm events.
“I get highly energized about the value of our Storm Team because I view this as the epitome of public service and it’s why all of us are here,” she said. “It’s during these events that we are really accomplishing our mission with a laser focus on the work we all do.”
Clark added that she also has a deep appreciation for the USGS employees in the field doing the hard work daily, especially during hurricanes and storms, to help the Storm Team get the data needed to share with our partners.
“Everyone on the team wants to share the information they have, information that can be useful to everyone,” she said. “Team members are energized and excited and possess a willingness to share their data, work, and expertise with each other. We all play a crucial role in helping communities prepare for and recover from storms, while continuously improving our capabilities to reduce risks and enhance resilience against future natural disasters. This team really showcases the value we do for society, and I couldn’t ask for a better collaborative team.”
To learn more about USGS hurricane science, visit: https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/hurricanes
MIL OSI USA News –