These are graphics that were used last week by local officials in NYC along with 2 news media outlets. Based on the fact that Sandy was a Cat 1 (and actually never officially produced sustained hurricane force winds at any reporting station), how is any one supposed to make sense of the grave surge warning the NHC gave with each advisory if a storm is forecast to be extra-tropical/a t.s./Cat 1 at most at landfall looking at the maps below? Any reference to storm category as a basis for Sandy's surge made from any Government official to any media outlet should have been immediately corrected and retracted.
I would go as far as to say that the NHC needs to embark on a public service and media blitz to get local emergency mgt officials, state/fed govt, and all media outlets to stop using surge graphics that reference storm category. The NHC has great graphics they use to forecast surge probability but if they don't embark on a media and public awareness campaign, 99% of folks won't see them. Local governments and local and national media need to be educated on what graphics to use as reference and be held accountable if they don't for dissementating inadequate and erroneous info the public in an emergency.
99.5% of the public is getting their storm updates from the news - tv or internet or even smart phone. If the news is reporting different info than the NHC, and local officials are doing the same, that is unacceptable in 2012 when anyone can go on to the NHC website and see their forecasts and forecast graphics regarding surge probability (not based on wind), let alone those who shold be held to a hight standard of accuracy in reporting.
This is not exclusive to NYC media and officials either - this is an issue that could put folks from Maine to Texas at risk - Ike was 'just a Cat 2' but had a surge more like a Cat 4/5, etc etc. This will happen again soon in a place where surge can far exceed wind...the Gulf Coast or Northeast or somewhere else.
