OR&R FY2023 Hurricane Season in Review
DEC. 18, 2023 — The 2023 hurricane season had an above average amount of storms, with 20 storms in the Atlantic and 16 in the Pacific compared to the average of 14. Now, OR&R is taking a look back at its accomplishments from this past hurricane season.
Prior to June 1st, OR&R staff provided a range of preparedness assistance to communities as a part of an ongoing effort to maintain a never-ending cycle of preparedness planning and continuous improvement.
During hurricane season, OR&R provided response coordination across NOS and on-scene pollution support for three tropical systems: Hurricane Hilary, Hurricane Idalia, and Typhoon Mawar. The OR&R Scientific Support Coordinator for California and NOAA’s National Weather Service participated in the U.S. Coast Guard district 11 Incident Management Team (IMT) activities during Hilary to support Sectors San Diego and Los Angeles/Long Beach.
This year also marked the second year OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) received direct support from a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mission assignment. Additionally, ERD assisted the IMT’s on-scene and facilitated assessments of pollution threats to coasts and waters during Hilary and Idalia.
Winds and storm surge from Idalia brought widespread damage to coastal regions in Florida. In response, NOAA’s Marine Debris Program (MDP), within OR&R, provided support to these affected communities by reviewing post-Idalia imagery collected by the National Geodetic Survey to identify marine debris along the coastline. After identifying the marine debris created by Idalia, the imagery was shared with Florida’s debris task force. Additionally, MDP staff continues to work with impacted partners in the Pacific Island region in the wake of Typhoon Mawar.
Even though the 2023 hurricane season has passed, recovery efforts are still ongoing for regions affected by Idalia. OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program continues to collaborate with incident Recovery Support Function Field Coordinators and the FEMA Interagency Recovery Coordination group. Additionally, OR&R supported NOAA engagement in recovery operations in this region by working with interagency partners to assist in a range of listening sessions, webinars, and workshops. All of these efforts are intended to support resilient recovery planning and aid in redevelopment efforts. In Guam, OR&R is supporting NOAA engagement in recovery operations related to coral reef damage.