Read the Cone, Wind Field and Warning Colors
Helene's September 2024 graphic separates forecast center points, the white cone and the current wind field. Follow the original labels to see which question each layer answers.
Official-Source Tracking
Live Hurricane Tracker
Track NHC systems, compare forecast maps, and check weather alerts for your area.
NHC Atlantic activity
Atlantic Systems & Development Outlook
7-day Atlantic outlook
For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of America: Western Atlantic: An area of low pressure is expected to form along a weakening frontal boundary a few hundred miles south of Bermuda over the next day or so. This system could gradually acquire some subtropical characteristics late this week or this weekend while it moves slowly eastward over the western to central Subtropical Atlantic. By early next week, environmental conditions are forecast to become unfavorable for further development. For more information on this system, including Gale Warnings, please see High Seas Forecast issued by the National Weather Service. * Formation chance through 48 hours...low...20 percent. * Formation chance through 7 days...medium...40 percent. && High Seas Forecasts issued by the National Weather Service can be found under AWIPS header NFDHSFAT1, WMO header FZNT01 KWBC, and online at ocean.weather.gov/shtml/NFDHSFAT1.php
The 7-day percentage describes tropical cyclone formation in a development area. Use local alerts to assess hazards at your location.
Historical cases & map reading
Understand the Maps Behind the Forecast
Compare Clouds With Rain Bands
Two frames of Ian's September 2022 radar and visible-satellite composite show different measurements in the same scene. Locate Charleston and Wilmington, then compare the timestamps and layers.
Read a Flood Map's Zone and Effective Date
FEMA's teaching map identifies Zone AE, a location pin and the panel date. Work through those labels before checking the effective map for a property and its separate evacuation zone.
Your area, not the whole basin
Check Local NWS Alerts
Check NWS alerts near a US ZIP code. This lookup uses a representative point; evacuation zones require a separate street-address check.
Check your street address and current evacuation instructions with local emergency management separately.
Use the right source
From Hurricane Track to Local Action
A hurricane is not a single point on a map. Making safe, timely decisions requires matching the question you have to the official source designed to answer it.
Step 1 Radar & Satellite
Observe What Is Happening Now
Answers: Where is rain actively falling right now, and what does the storm's cloud structure look like?
- Radar: Shows observed precipitation echoes where radar coverage is available. Check the frame time; observations are not a forecast of the next six hours.
- Satellite (GOES-East): Shows cloud structure; infrared and water-vapor products add cloud-top and atmospheric-moisture context, not surface wind measurements.
- Neither radar nor satellite loops establish a future landfall or your local flood risk.
Step 2 National Hurricane Center
Understand Track & Uncertainty
Answers: Where is the center forecast to move over the next 1 to 5 days? What do NHC advisories say about intensity?
- Official Cone: Uses circles sized to contain two-thirds of NHC center-track forecast errors from the previous five years. It is not a storm-specific impact probability.
- Cone vs. Impact: Dangerous winds, flooding, and storm surge frequently extend far outside the cone.
- Never focus solely on the center line. Hazards extend across hundreds of miles.
Step 3 Local NWS & Emergency Mgmt
Act on Official Local Alerts
Answers: Is my neighborhood at risk of storm surge, wind damage, or mandatory evacuation?
- Official Alerts: Read NHC and local NWS watches and warnings for the hazard, affected area, timing, and protective action. Begin preparing before a warning.
- Evacuation Orders: Check the responsible local authority's current instructions. Zone names vary; orders may cover surge areas, flood-prone neighborhoods, or mobile homes, not just a wind category.
- Follow evacuation orders promptly. Plan earlier for medical or transport needs; do not wait for an order to respond to immediate danger.
Core HurricaneHub Principle:Maps provide context, not a household safety determination. Follow official instructions, prepare early, and respond to immediate danger. HurricaneHub does not issue forecasts or evacuation orders.
Official references: NWS remote sensing, NHC cone definition, and Ready.gov evacuation planning.
View illustrative concept diagram (Visual Infographic)
Illustrative map only, not a current forecast. Maps provide context; verify current NHC advisories, local NWS alerts, and official emergency instructions before acting.
Prepare before conditions deteriorate
Choose Your Next Planning Task
Pack for your household
Build a supply checklist with household size, pet supplies, and document reminders.
Build a checklistOrganize an evacuation plan
Record official instructions, destinations, transport, and medical needs for your household.
Open the planning helperPlan for a power outage
Work through food storage, equipment, and backup-power questions before an outage.
Open the outage plannerCompare an insurance scenario
Compare costs using your annual wind premium and an additional credit confirmed by your insurer.
Compare confirmed figuresPlan stored supplies and learn how to follow boil-water and do-not-use notices in the CDC-sourced water guide.
Local resources
Find Your Coastal State
FL
Florida
Florida households should decide evacuation triggers early because bridge closures, shelter demand, and fuel availability can change before landfall.
TX
Texas
Texas hurricane planning should include inland flood risk, long drive times from barrier islands, and backup power safety for extended outages.
Louisiana households should treat storm surge and evacuation timing as separate decisions because low-lying routes can close before peak wind arrives.
North Carolina planning should account for barrier island access, inland river flooding, and tree-related power interruptions after landfall.
South Carolina households should monitor local evacuation zones and move vehicles, documents, and medications before coastal routes become crowded.
GA
Georgia
Georgia coastal residents should pair NWS alerts with county evacuation zones because storm surge and inland wind impacts often peak at different times.
AL
Alabama
Alabama households should monitor coastal surge and inland tornado warnings together, especially when landfall occurs west of the state.
Mississippi planning should include early shelter decisions for mobile homes, low-lying roads, and medically dependent household members.
VA
Virginia
Virginia households should watch coastal flooding, tidal river impacts, bridge and tunnel constraints, and inland tree damage when tropical systems move up the coast.
More Hurricane Coverage
Hurricane FAQ
What is HurricaneHub's direct answer for people in the risk zone?
Check your official local warning first, compare it with the current NHC storm position, then decide whether your home, route, or medical needs require earlier action than the county deadline.
How often should hurricane data refresh?
NHC advisories usually update on a cycle set by the storm situation, while NWS alerts can change at any time. HurricaneHub caches public feeds for short windows to reduce latency without hiding official updates.
Is this a replacement for emergency management orders?
No. HurricaneHub summarizes official data for decision support, but evacuation orders, shelter rules, road closures, and rescue instructions come from local emergency management and the National Weather Service.