Copyright: HTS ® 1995 James Culbertson


Contents

Introduction

Hurricane Tracking System (HTS) allows you to enter and save hurricane information, create hurricane tracking charts, and predict the track of hurricanes.

Procedures

Getting Started

Commands

File Menu Commands

Edit Menu Commands

View Menu Commands

Help Menu Commands

Tips

Hurricane Safety Tips

Information Sources for Hurricane Tracks

Index

Index


Getting Started

To quickly get started tracking hurricanes do the following steps:

1. Use the Edit Change Name function to give the hurricane a name.

2. Use the Edit Add Data function to start adding the hurricane information. Enter the date and time, latitude/longitude position, and the wind speed. The time will automatically advance 3 hours for each new entry, but you can edit this to the actual time, if necessary.

4. Use the File Save function to save the hurricane data to a new file.

5. As new data is received use the File Open function to reload the file (you only need to reload if you have exited and restarted the program). Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the new data.

6. Use the File Save function to save the new data to the same file name.

7. Optionally use the View Prediction function to show the possible future track of the hurricane.

8. Use the File Print Track function to print the tracking chart to the printer (use Landscape mode, if available, under Options).


File Menu Commands

New

Clears the current hurricane data and tracking map, allowing you to enter new data.

Open...

Opens previously saved hurricane tracking data files.

Save

Saves the hurricane tracking data to the current file.

Save As...

Saves the hurricane tracking data to a file name that you provide. The ".hts" file extension is used to identify hurricane track files (e.g. "alice.hts").

Print Track...

Prints the current hurricane tracking chart to the printer. It will print in either landscape or portrait mode. Choose the mode with the Options button on the Print dialog. Landscape mode is recommended.

Print Data...

        Prints the hurricane tracking data to a columnar listing.

Exit

       Quits the Hurricane Tracking System. If there is unsaved data the program will ask if you would like to save the file.


Edit Menu Commands

Change Name...

Changes the name of the current hurricane being edited.

Add Data...

Allows the entering of new data after a File New command or adding new data to an existing data file. The time, data, position, and wind speed information is added. The time is automatically advanced 3 hours for each new entry but this can be edited to match the position's actual time.

Edit/View Data...

Allows the editing and viewing of hurricane data that has already been entered. Positional data, date and time information, and wind speed may be changed. Position items can also be inserted or deleted.


View Menu Commands

Preferences

Sets which of the following objects are to be posted on the tracking chart:

•	Cities

•	Latitude and Longitude Lines

•	Wind Speed plotting and Wind Speed Legend

•	Dates of the Hurricane Position (mm/dd/year)

•	Hurricane Track Prediction

Prediction

Predicts the track of the hurricane based on existing data. The prediction is a straight-line based on the slope of the last two data entries.

Redraw

       Redraws (refreshes) the current state of the hurricane tracking chart.


Help Menu Commands

Getting Started

Jumps to the "Getting Started" section of this help document, which provides steps to quickly get started using the program.

Hurricane Safety Tips

       Jumps to the "Hurricane Safety Tips" section of this help document, which provides information about hurricane safety.

Contents

       Jumps to the "Contents" section of this help document.

About...

       Displays the Program Version and copyright information.


Safety Tips
Hurricane Safety Tips

Listed are topics to consider when dealing with hurricanes and how to plan for the possibility of hurricanes in your area:

Stay or Leave?

Hurricane Season Planning

Hurricane Watch

Hurricane Warning

After the All-Clear Announcement


Stay or Leave
Stay or Leave?

When a hurricane threatens your area you will have to make the decision whether you should evacuate or whether you should ride out the storm in your home.

If local authorities recommend evacuation, you should leave! Their advice is based on the knowledge of the strength and path of the storm and its potential for destruction.

In general, the following advice applies:

•	Leave if you live on the coastline or offshore island.

•	Leave if you live in a mobile home.

•	Leave if you live near a river or in a flood plain.

•	Consider staying if you live in a sturdy house on high ground, away from coastal beaches.

Other Safety Tips:

Hurricane Season Planning

Hurricane Watch

Hurricane Warning

After the All-Clear Announcement


Season Planning
Hurricane Season Planning

At the beginning of the hurricane season (early June), make plans for action:

•	Learn the safest routes inland.

•	Learn the location of the official shelters.

•	Determine where to move your boat in an emergency.

•	Trim back dead wood from trees.

•	Gather stock boards to cover windows if you have no shutters.

Other Safety Tips:

Stay or Leave?

Hurricane Watch

Hurricane Warning

After the All-Clear Announcement


Hurricane Watch

If a hurricane is possible in your area (Hurricane Watch), please follow these safetey tips:

•	Make sure that vehicles are fueled and supplies are available.

•	Check often for official bulletins on radio, TV, or NOAA Weather Radio.

•	Check mobile home tie-downs.

•	Stock up on canned provisions.

•	Secure valuables in a high area of the house.

•	Tape, board, or shutter windows; wedge sliding glass doors.

•	Check supplies of special medicine and drugs.

Other Safety Tips:

Stay or Leave?

Hurricane Season Planning

Hurricane Warnng

After the All-Clear Announcement


Hurricane Warning

If a hurricane is probable in your area (Hurricane Warning), please follow these safetey tips:

•	Stay tuned to TV, radio, or NOAA Weather radio for official bulletins.

•	Stay home and inside if sturdy and on high ground

•	Board up garage and porch doors - bring in pets.

•	Fill containers (bathtub) with a supply of drinking water.

•	Turn up refrigerator to maximum cold and keep closed as much as possible.

•	Be cautious of the sudden calm if the eye of the hurricane passes over.

•	If you need to leave, then follow the following guidelines:

1 	Leave early and in daylight if possible.

2 	Shut off water and electricity.

3 	Pack light - take only small valuables and papers.

4 	Leave food and water for pets (shelter won't allow pets).

5 	Drive carefully to nearest shelter using the recommended evacuation routes.

Other Safety Tips:

Stay or Leave?

Hurricane Season Planning

Hurricane Watch

After the All-Clear Announcement


After All Clear
After the All-Clear Announcement

After the All-Clear announcement is given for your area:

•	Drive carefully - look for dangling high wires and flooded low spots.

•	Report broken or damaged water, sewer, gas, and electrical lines.

•	Use caution when reentering home - check for gas leaks.

•	Check food and water for spoilage.

Other Safety Tips:

Stay or Leave?

Hurricane Season Planning

Hurricane Watch

Hurricane Warning


Sources of Track Information
Sources for Hurricane Track Information

There are several ways to get hurricane track information for entry into HTS:

TV/Radio Announcements

Television and radio are a good source for this information. It is advisable to listen to these sources to keep up with any emergency procedures, especially when a hurricane watch has been issued.

Internet Web/FTP Sites

There are several internet web and FTP sites that publish frequent updates to the position of the current hurricanes (and also historical hurricane information). These sources often post the wind speed information in nautical miles per hour (kt). Multiply kt by 1.15 to get the actual speed in miles per hour. A good web site that publishes the tracks is:

          http:://milo.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/tropical.html

Newspapers

Newspapers often publish the position information but are less likely to have the current informaton.


Index

A

After All Clear

C

Contents

E

Edit Menu Commands

F

File Menu Commands

G

Getting Started

H

Help Menu Commands

Hurricane Warning

Hurricane Watch

I

Index

S

Safety Tips

Season Planning

Sources of Track Information

Stay or Leave

V

View Menu Commands


Edit Add Data

<Edit Menu Commands>


Edit Change Name

<Edit Menu Commands>


File Open

<File Menu Commands>


File Print Data

<File Menu Commands>


File Print Track

<File Menu Commands>


File Save As

<File Menu Commands>


File Save

<File Menu Commands>


leave

<Stay or Leave>


View Prediction

<View Menu Commands>


Wind Speed plotting

Wind speed will be plotted by increasing the size of the hurricane plot as the wind speed increases. Wind speeds lower than 74 MPH are not hurricanes and will be plotted in an orange shade.