Every year hurricane season begins in June and ends in November. This year NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has forecasted that it will be a potentially busy year with approximately 13 to 19 named storms, of which three to six could be major hurricanes.  

The Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) plays an important role during hurricane response. Historically, OR&R works with the U.S. Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency, and other state and federal agencies to track storm related debris and mitigate any storm related spills. Leveraging tools like the Environmental Response Management Application, ERMA®, post-storm response operations can be visualized in real time via the map interface or through interactive dashboard displays. 

Technology will play an even more important role this year, as ERMA® data managers can work remotely to support onscene efforts through data streams. To help ensure remote operations are possible, OR&R is working with the EPA, Natural Disaster Operational Workgroup, and other agencies to prepare for the 2020 hurricane season. ERMA® is testing out the secure data transfer between partners to ensure data flow will happen seamlessly through remote table top exercises. 

To learn more, view the live map here.