The National Hurricane Center will be issuing storm surge watches and warnings this hurricane season as part of a number of changes taking effect in 2017.
The NHC defines a storm surge watch as the "possibility of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the shoreline somewhere within the specified area, generally within 48 hours, in association with an ongoing or potential tropical cyclone, a subtropical cyclone, or a post-tropical cyclone." A storm surge warning would reflect the "danger" of such conditions.
The National Hurricane Center is also hoping to issue advisories, watches, and warnings for disturbances that have yet to become a tropical cyclone. That change still needs approval from the National Weather Service.
The NHC would only issue such warnings (example) if there was a threat to land within 48 hours.
An experimental feature for 2017 will be a graphic that shows the possible time tropical storm force winds would impact an area.
The National Hurricane Center is also updating its advisory graphics to feature "cleaner fonts and softer colors."
More information on the changes can be found here. (PDF)
The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season offically begins on June 1 and ends on November 30.
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