Home > NCEP News
Tropical Prediction Center (TPC) Staff to Participate in Latin-American-Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour
TPC director Max Mayfield, hurricane specialist Lixion Avila and public affairs officer, Frank Lepore
will begin a week-long hurricane awareness tour for Latin American and Caribbean sites on March 13.
They and aircrew from the United States Air Force Reserve (AFRES) Command's 53rd Weather
Reconnaissance Squadron, aboard WC-130-H (Hurricane Hunter) aircraft will conduct a Latin
American - Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour (LA CHAT). The tour is conducted pursuant to the
National Hurricane Operations Plan (NHOP), paragraph 2.2. The NHOP outlines an annual requirement
to jointly meet with civic leaders, meteorological service representatives, disaster preparedness
agencies and air traffic control managers of countries in World Meteorological Organization,
Regional Association-IV.
This year, the TPC team will conduct public education and outreach in
La Paz, Mexico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Matamoros, Mexico; Cancun, Mexico; Turks and Caicos; and
Isla Grande, Puerto Rico.
At each location, TPC staff will brief local officials and the media
on the general impacts of hurricanes in the region and emphasize the "team effort" involved in
the region's hurricane program. Local meteorological and emergency management officials will
assist in answering media and public questions.
|