Sam’s Move to Tornado Alley and Hurricane Messaging Updates

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Today on the Disaster Podcast, co-host Sam Bradley and I discuss her recent move from Colorado to Missouri. She almost immediately ran into severe weather in the new house and talks about the things she did to improve her preparedness in the face of a change of location. Sam’s experience during the move had a profound impact on her and led her to locate the nearest shelter to their home for storm safety.

We also looked at the upcoming hurricane season and discussed a quick overview of the 2026 hurricane forecast. We’ll have a more in-depth discussion with our meteorologists in a coming episode. One interesting topic that came up was the updated messaging from the National Hurricane Center and their cone of forecast track for hurricanes. They implemented new messaging upgrades to the graphic.

What to know about the new cone graphic:

• Incorporates all land-based (coastal and inland) tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings in effect for the continental United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands;
• Uses single shading for the entire 5-day outlook cone;
• Legend depicts symbols for areas where a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning are both in effect (represented by diagonal pink and blue lines); and
• Full and intermediate Tropical Cyclone Advisories are/will be publicly available on hurricanes.gov.

NHC will also be introducing a new experimental version of the NHC’s Tropical Cyclone Track Forecast Cone. Since its debut in 2002, the cone has shown where the tropical cyclone’s forecast center is likely to go, based on past forecast calculations.

Scroll down for Podcast Discussion Summary

Thank you as always to Paragon Medical Education Group for their long-term support of the Disaster Podcast. Dr. Joe Holley and the team at Paragon continue to provide excellent and customized disaster response training to jurisdictions around the U.S. and internationally as well.

Podcast Discussion Summary

Hurricane Season Preparation Discussion

Sam shared her recent experience moving from suburban Colorado to rural Missouri, including challenges with severe weather, particularly tornado warnings during her drive. The group discussed upcoming hurricane season predictions, noting that while the storm count is projected to be near to below average, the risk remains significant due to potential rapid intensification and elevated early season threats. Jamie emphasized the importance of being prepared for hurricane season by having emergency supplies ready and staying informed through local emergency management centers and weather forecasts.

Hurricane Forecast Graphics Updates

Jamie and Sam discussed updates to hurricane forecast cone graphics from the National Hurricane Center, which will now include tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings, as well as single shading for the entire 5-day cone outlook. Jamie explained that these changes aim to make the information more understandable and help people better assess their risk and evacuation needs. They also discussed the importance of staying informed through apps and alerts, emphasizing the need for immediate action during severe weather events.

Weather Updates and Emergency Preparedness

Jamie and Sam discussed the impact of constant weather updates and news notifications on public awareness and decision-making. They also talked about military drills, with Sam sharing his experience from a 2015-2016 Urban Shield exercise in Alameda County that involved emergency services training. Sam described how the realistic nature of the exercise surprised some hospital interns who initially viewed it negatively but gained valuable insights during the debriefing.

Emergency Response Training Collaboration

Sam and Jamie discussed emergency response training, particularly focusing on the evolution of collaboration between police, fire, and EMS teams in active shooter situations. They highlighted the development of training programs like Rescue Task Force and Active Violence Emergency Response Training (AVIRT), which aim to improve coordination and patient care in high-risk scenarios. Jamie mentioned the importance of unified communication systems and the challenges of maintaining effective communication in underground settings. The conversation concluded with plans to discuss recent severe weather trends and hurricane forecasts in a future episode with Dan.

Wrap up and updates

The team went through contact information and the team encouraged listeners to stay safe. The group discussed the role of specialized training, with Jamie highlighting the sponsorship of the Disaster Podcast by Paragon Medical Education Group.